Business English Writing
Chapter 1 Business English Writing: Classifications and Principles Business Communication
Writing Principles——8C Principles
商务英语写作I.Business Communication
What is Communication?
What is Business Communication?
Objectives of Business Communication
Classification of Business Communication
1. Definition of Communication
Communication is the sending and receiving of information, ideas, attitudes and emotions―either verbal
or nonverbal―that produce a response between people. 2. Business communication is the communication which takes place in the business field.
3. Objectives of Business Communication
1) To be understood exactly as we intended;
2) To secure a desired response to what we communicate;
3) To build up and develop goodwill between the sender and receiver of the message.
4.Classification of Communication
1) Downward Communication is from superiors to subordinates, from bosses to employees, from decision-makers to operating personnel.
2) Upward Communication is the opposite flow of downward communication. Messages from the bottom move up through many stages until they reach the top.
3) Horizontal Communication is the exchange flows between or among organizational units on the same hierarchical level.
internal horizontal communication external horizontal communication
II. Writing Principles——8C Principles
Completeness
Concreteness
Conciseness
Clarity
Correctness
Consideration
Courtesy
Creditability
1. Completeness
A complete letter should include whatever details are needed to produce the response you want.
To achieve the Completeness, you should consider the following suggestions:
1) Try to list all essential points in your letter;
2) Volunteer something extra which, you think, may be of some use to your reader now or in the future;
3) Offer alternatives you are able to give. Maybe you will get a new transaction.
4) Check for the five Ws (who, what, where, when and why) and the H (how).
2. Concreteness
1) Use specific rather than general language to give specific information.
Compare:
This copier saves you both money and time.
BH200 Copier makes 60 copies a minute at a cost of one fen a copy.
But sometimes generalizing is necessary or preferable for being diplomatic.
Compare:
Our firm sells clothes for women weighing over 200 pounds.
Our firm sells fashions for women with generous figures.
2) Use concrete rather than abstract words when possible.
Compare:
I am interested in your vehicle.
I am interested in your brown 1997 Ford Sedan.
3. Conciseness
Conciseness i s saying what you want to say in the fewest words possible without sacrificing the other C qualities.
1) Avoid wordy expressions and statements
< “I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your sincere cooperation.
“Thank you for your sincere cooperation.”
2) Avoid triteness.
3) Eliminate redundancy (repetition of language elements)
Mr. Li will be here at 8 A.M. in the morning.
4) Leave out irrelevant material
Compare:
If you had not informed us of damage so promptly, we should/would be unable to do anything for you. However, in your case, we are glad to tell you…
Because you were so prompt in informing us of the damage, we are glad to tell you
4. Clarity
nderstanding.
1) Write on the level of the reader’s u
2) Avoid ambiguity
An ambiguous word is one that has more than one meaning in the same context. Compare:
The L/C must reach us for arranging shipment not later than 8 October.
The L/C must reach us not later than 8 October for arranging shipment
3) Avoid needless jargon (special language in one field of business)
If possible, try to include examples, illustrations or other visual aids for clarity, such as pictures, diagrams, simple tables, samples and printed materials.
5. Correctness
Correctness means a message must be united (grammatically and mechanically correct) and coherent (logically organized).
To achieve this aim, the writer should:
1) Use the right level of language (formal, informal, substandard).
2) Include accurate facts, figures and words.
3) Maintain acceptable writing mechanics or structure.
6. Consideration
Consideration means to think of the reader first and write from the
is a style of writing that looks at things from the “you-attitude”.
“You-attitude”　
reader’s poi nt of view, emphasizing what the reader wants to know, respecting the reader’s intelligence and protecting the reader’s ego
(self-esteem).
and ”my”　
in positive
and deemphasize t he “I”　
and “your”　
1) To emphasize the “you”　
negative situations and use passive words/verbs situations and to avoid the word “you” in
and impersonal expressions to avoid assigning blame.
Compare:
We provide health insurance to all employees.
You receive health insurance as a full-time P&G employee.
Compare:
You made no allowance for inflation in your estimate.
No allowance for inflation has been made in this estimate.
This estimate makes no allowance for inflation.
2) To emphasize the reader’s interests rather than your own concerns. Compare:
The large scale of sales of our products will make our company more profitable.
You will find that our product will sell rapidly and afford you a profit margin.
3) To emphasize what you can do, not what you cannot do .
Compare:
We won’t be able to send you the brochure this month.
We will send you the brochure next month.
Try to use positive words to replace negative words.
Improve:
We hope you won’t be dissatisfied with the new range of our electric products.
4) To express your sincere desire to be of help.
7. Courtesy
A courteous message, like a courteous person, is polite, considerate and emphathic. Courtesy is a major contributor to goodwill. By courtesy we mean treating people with respect and friendly human concern. It can be a key factor influencing our success in the business world.
1) Be polite.
2) Be equal to each other
Compare:
How can anyone question our ability to repay the loan when we are such a large, reputable firm?
Our qualification for the loan is a well established credit rating.
3) Avoid mistrust
Compare:
We have received your letter in which you claimed that ten tea sets were damaged in shipment.
We have noticed in your letter that a damage to ten tea sets in shipment was found. 4) Avoid anger
Compare:
You obviously made a mistake by sending me the wrong goods.
Thank you for your prompt delivery. However, the goods reached us were not the ones we ordered.
8. Creditability
Creditability means being honest and fair in all our business dealings.
The observation of the 7Cs will ensure the achievement of last C– Creditability. Before doing business with others, one businessman should learn how to be a man. Homework
Read the text and answer the question:
How do you analyze the 8Cs from the pragmatic perspective?