CHAROTARUNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (CHARUSAT)
Communication Skills-I
Writing Skills
Paragraph Development:
The basic object of paragraph writing is to communicate. It is the first step in developing an ability to write a piece of composition. The practice of writing paragraph gives an opportunity to develop and to improve the power of expression. People engaged in the technical field require communicating with others in the forms of technical notes, technical reports, explaining certain technical processes, functions of tools and machines, preparation of work projects etc.
There is no fixed rule about the length of a paragraph. A paragraph is a group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a unit. In other words, it is a group of related sentences which express a single idea. A paragraph may express an opinion provide information through the use of facts and details tell a story or simply describe a person, a place, an object, or a feeling. There should be a connection between your controlling ideas and information in any paragraph. Once you decide what your controlling idea will be, and then you should choose information that will help you to support that idea throughout the entire paper. The decision about what to put in your paragraph begins with the ‘germination of an idea’ or thought. The germination process is known as brainstorming.
Topic Sentence and Supporting Sentence:
Well written paragraphs contain a clear topic sentence, two to four statements that support the topic sentence, and one to three detail/example sentences to explain and clarify each of the support sentences. Sometimes, a concluding sentence is used to re-emphasize the main point or to provide transition to the next paragraph.
Topic Sentence:
A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main idea of a paragraph. It is known as a key sentence or theme sentence it tells the reader about the information that will follow. If the remainder of the paragraph does not fulfill the ‘promise’ of the topic sentence, the paragraph will lack unity, coherence and adequate development.
- provide the main supporting points for the paragraph's main idea (topic sentence)
- should be directly tied to the topic sentence
- usually 2 - 4 in a paragraph
- usually general claims
- arranged in logical order
- should be proven using concrete, specific evidence
Good topic sentences have two parts:
- The first part states the subject or topic. (My senior year of highschool . . . )
- The second part expresses an attitude or says something about the topic. (. . . Was challenging.)
Supporting Sentences:
Support sentences must be directly linked to the topic sentence of the paragraph. When the sentences in a paragraph are not consistent with the main idea provided by the topic sentence, the paragraph lacks unity (one of those mysterious English-teacher words!). Every sentence in the paragraph should relate to the main idea.
Support sentences should be arranged in logical order and connected by transitions to provide coherence (that other one!). Arrangement of support sentences might be based on importance (usually least to most), time (usually first to last), or even space (far to near, near to far) -- just about anything, as long as it serves the writer's purpose. Transition words are often used improve coherence and to reinforce the order in which supporting points are presented. Sometimes writers use simple transitions such as these to connect support sentences:
- "My first challenge at WilsonHigh School . . . "
- "The second challenge I encountered . . . "
- "My final challenge in high school . . . "
Coherence
Coherence is product of many different factors, which combine to make every paragraph, every sentence, and every phrase contribute to the meaning of the whole piece. Coherence in writing is much more difficult to sustain than coherent speech simply because writers have no nonverbal clues to inform them if their message is clear or not. Therefore, writers must make their patterns of coherence much more explicit and much more carefully planned. Coherence itself is the product of two factors — paragraph unity and sentence cohesion.
Paragraph Unity
To achieve paragraph unity, a writer must ensure two things only. First, the paragraph must have a single generalization that serves as the focus of attention, that is, a topic sentence. Secondly, a writer must control the content of every other sentence in the paragraph's body such that (a) it contains more specific information than the topic sentence and (b) it maintains the same focus of attention as the topic sentence.
This generalization about paragraph structure holds true for the essay in particular. The two major exceptions to this formula for paragraph unity are found in fiction (where paragraph boundaries serve other functions, such as indicating when a new speaker is talking in a story) and in journalism (where paragraphs are especially short to promote 'visual' ease by creating white space).
Letter writing :
Letter Writing:
It is said that letter writing is nothing but an art. Even though letters have transformed into e-mails and SMSes, the art still remains, only the medium has changed. Letters can be broadly classified into formal letters and informal letters. As the name suggests, formal letters include business letters, official letters, applications, complaints, letter to editors, letters written to people whom we want to convey certain important information. On the other hand, informal letters include, letters that are written to our friends and family. While formal letters follow certain format, one can be flexible while writing informal letters. Nonetheless, letter writing is a skill that needs to be honed over time with practice. It is a pleasurable task once you know the basic rules.
Let us understand a few ground rules while writing formal letters:
- You need to write your full name, address and date before you begin the letter
- Address the person you are writing the letter to with correct name and designation.
- It is always advisable to start the letter with ‘Respected Sir/Madam’ or ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and then mention the name and the address.
- Before beginning to write the letter you must state the purpose of the letter in one line titled ‘Subject’.
- Your letter should be very crisp giving out only that information which is required.
- You letter should state action/information required/supplied or requesting action to be taken
- While closing, do not forget to end your letter politely by using phrases like ‘thanking you’ and undersigning your letter using ‘Yours faithfully/sincerely’ (Name).
- This is the basic structure of a letter. You can modify it according to the purpose for which it is written and the person to whom it is addressed. For example, if you are writing a letter for job application, then you may need to attach your resume along with the letter and also mention the same in it.
Now coming to informal letters, these are letters that do not have many rules. Since you are writing to your friends and family, you are free to choose your tone and content. One however needs to keep the following things in mind:
- Write your full name and address even if it is an informal letter.
- Divide your letter in small paragraphs.
- Keep your writing simple.
- Make a good choice of words especially if you are writing an apology letter or a letter to express your condolences in case of a death.
- Most people close the letter with phrases like ‘Yours affectionately/With love/All the best/Take care’ etc.
Letter writing almost embarks you on a journey of words, then be it hand-written or typed, this is one activity that helps you communicate so beautifully.
Business Letters:
The arrangement of all the parts of your business letter is just as important as the format itself. Most businesspeople are accustomed to seeing information in certain areas of a typical letter, so your letter will read much better if you use a common form. There can be up to 16 key parts of a letter, including the letterhead. And, although you probably won’t use all of them in every letter you write, their correct placement is essential in making your document look professional:
Letterhead (See “Paper and Envelopes” for more information.): This is company or personal stationery.
Date: This is the date on which the letter was written, not when it was typed or sent. The date is at the top of the page, at least two lines below the letterhead symbol or sender’s address.
Inside Address: Your reader’s name and address appear just as they do on the envelope. This should be flush left, and at least two lines below the date. If you don’t know the reader’s name, use his or her professional title.
Attention Line: This is only used when your letter is addressed to a company as a whole, but you want someone specific to handle it. It should be flush left in the inside address, and can be either above the inside address, or immediately following the company’s name. Job title is not included.
Salutation: This is your first personal greeting to your reader. The rule here is to always use your reader’s name when you know it.
Subject Line: The subject line consists of a few words that briefly describe the content of your letter. It is not absolutely necessary to include it; in fact, it is often omitted in current business writing. But, it does serve as a courtesy to the reader. And, it is also a useful reference for you if you need to find it quickly.
Body:This is the actual message of your letter. It begins two lines below the salutation or subject line. Place the paragraphs flush left, or indent them (depending on format), and use single-spacing.
Closing:This is where you sign off on your letter. It is sometimes referred to as a complimentary close because is it designed to close the letter in a polite, professional manner. Typical closings include Sincerely, Very respectfully, and Best regards. The degree of formality you should use depends on the status of your reader.
Signature Line:This is the name and job title of the person writing the letter. It should only be used when you are writing on behalf of the company.
Reference Initials:This refers anyone involved in the preparation of the letter. There can be up to three different sets of initials: those of the person signing the letter, followed by the dictator’s, if different, and then those of the typist. Reference initials are not as widely used as they once were; but, if you do use them, use all capital letters for the signer and/or dictator, and lowercase letters for the typist.
Enclosure:This indicates that you have included additional paperwork in your correspondence. You can use the word enclosure. It is placed two lines beneath the reference initials. By adding an enclosure line, you are not only providing a courtesy to your reader, but you are ensuring that the extra information you are sending does not get overlooked.
File Name Notation:This references a file name, and is placed two lines beneath the last notation. You do not need to include the word Reference in this information.
Delivery Notation:This is used when your document requires special handling. It is placed two lines below the last notation.
Carbon Copy (cc) Line:This line tells your reader who else is being sent a copy of your letter. You can preface the information with either cc or with the word distribution, if the letter is being sent to more than three or four readers. It is placed flush left and is two lines below the last notation.
Postscript: Written as P.S. at the very bottom (flush left) of your letter. It is placed two lines below the last notation. The postscript is simply extra information that is unrelated to the main information in your letter. It should be only one brief sentence and should be followed by the sender’s initials.
Continuation Page:This is any page after the first page of a document. Whatever you do, do not put the word continued on the first page—your reader will deduce that fact when they turn to page two. Information included in this portion is as follows: the addressee’s name, the date, and the page number. You should put this information at the top left corner of each page, flush left.
(1) MAIN PARTS OF THE BUSINESS LETTER
(1) Sender’s address Sanket Sales
SanketTowers
Grid Circle
Anand- 388 001
(2) Date April 5, 2018
(3) Receiver’s address Eagle Electronics
Dadar
Bombay- 400 002
(4) Attention line ATTENTION: Mr. Rohan Sharma, Manager
(5) Salutation Dear Sir,
(6) Subject line Subject: Catalogue for Air-condition
(7) Body of the letter We are leading dealers in Electronics Items. We are interested in your “Eagle
Air-Condition”. Please send us your latest catalogue for the same.
We intend to play a large order. We request you to offer us your maximum
discount, terms of payment and early delivery period. Please note that your
prices, terms and delivery period are acceptable to us, we shall place our
order with you.
We await your prompt reply.
(8) Complimentary close Yours faithfully,
(9) Signature block (Signature)
N.Sinha
A.C. Department Manager
(10) Enclosure Encl:
(11) Carbon Copy CC: Manager
(2) BUSINESS LETTER LAYOUTS
BLOCK LAYOUTSender’s address
Date
Receiver’s address
Salutation
Subject
Body of the letter
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Closing words
Signature / SEMI BLOCK LAYOUT
Sender’s address
Date
Receiver’s address
Salutation
Subject
Body of the letter
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Closing words
Signature / MODIFIED BLOCK LAYOUT
Sender’s address
Date
Receiver’s address
Salutation
Subject
Body of the letter
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Closing words
Signature
(1) INQUIRY LETTER
Sanket Sales
SanketTowers
Grid Circle
Anand- 388 001
April 5, 2018
Eagle Electronics
Dadar
Bombay- 400 002
ATTENTION: Mr. Rohan Sharma, Manager
Dear Sir,
Subject: Catalogue for Air-condition
We are leading dealers in Electronics Items. We are interested in your “Eagle Air-Condition”. Please send us your latest catalogue for the same.
We intend to play a large order. We request you to offer us your maximum discount, terms of payment and early delivery period. Please note that your prices, terms and delivery period are acceptable to us, we shall place our order with you.
We await your prompt reply.
Yours faithfully,
(Signature)
N.Sinha
A.C. Department Manager
Sanket Sales
Encl:
CC: Manager
(4)Complaint Letter
Sanket Sales
SanketTowers
Grid Circle
Anand- 388 001
April 5, 2018
Eagle Electronics
Dadar
Bombay- 400 002
ATTENTION:Mr. Rohan Sharma, Manager
Dear Sir,
Subject: damaged products
We received the consignment of our order of air-conditions that was placed on October 12, 2012. In opening of the consignment, we found five air-conditions in damaged condition which are as below:
1 / Eagle Cube 1 ton split AC (White) / 03
2 / Eagle Cube 1 ton split AC (Black) / 02
Please respond as soon as possible to resolve this delicate matter and send new products in replacement of damaged products.
Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Yours faithfully,
Yours faithfully,
(Signature)
N.Sinha
A.C. Department Manager
Sanket Sales
CC: Manager
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