1. memorandum 2. letter 3. instruction 4. fill-in form 5. proposal 6. formal report 7. minutes 8....

1. Memorandum 2. Letter3. Instruction 4. Fill-in Form5. Proposal 6. Formal Report 7. Minutes 8. Script for

presentation9. Advertising 10. Article

Do you think it is more appropriate to train employees to write memo and letter forms or to train employees to study communication skills--emphasizing purpose, audience, clarity, and so forth?

Emphasize letter and memo forms................... 8%Emphasize principles of communication........... 50%Writing principles are more important, though forms should not be ignored.................. 38%Not sure............................................................... 4% Journal of Business and

Technical Communication, January 1995

AudienceWho is the reader?

SubjectWhat is my point?What do I want my reader to do?

ContextWhy am I writing to the reader?Where will the document be read? Where will it be read?How will the reader use the document now? In future?

Have an informative subject line (memo).Provide an intro-body-conclusion structure.

Introduction State the subject, purpose, and main

point.Provide the context (background).

BodyOne point, one paragraph

ConclusionComplimentaryDirective

You attitudeProfessional tonePlain English