10 Tips for Better Business Writing

10 Tips for Better Business Writing 10 Tips for Better Business Writing 10 Tips for Better Business Writing By Mark Nichol Writing in a business environment is an activity with associated norms, challenges, and opportunities. Keep the following points in mind as you craft communication in the context of a company or an organization. 1. Clarity Be clear. Clarity is the primary goal of all communication, and in business writing, the degree of transparency in one’s message can determine whether one succeeds or fails in a venture, whether you’re transmitting a report or closing a deal. State the intention of your message, provide the necessary details, and request the precise response you need or want. 2. Active Voice Employ active construction (subject-verb-object). â€Å"This report was sent to me by John Smith† is not wrong, and it’s probably the best choice if you want to distinguish one report from another, but consider whether â€Å"John Smith† should be the subject of the sentence; the active syntax is more vigorous, and usually more appropriate. 3. Direct Language Construct concise, declarative statements. Your goal is to provide or invite information, or to persuade or be persuaded. Your time is valuable to you, but the recipient or recipients of your communication also have constraints and deadlines, so take the time to express yourself with economy and directness. 4. Simple Words Favor plain, clear words and phrases over technical terms, jargon, or buzzwords. Take care not to complicate your vocabulary or stiffen your tone in an attempt to seem more businesslike or expert. By all means, use proper terminology to enhance clarity and demonstrate your knowledge and skills, but imagine how you would speak to your intended audience, and write with a conversational glossary in mind. 5. Tone Strike a balance in tone that depends on the particular context of the communication. Even within categories (memos, whether in print or in email form, or marketing content), the feel of the correspondence will depend on many factors. Consult with management and colleagues, study precedents, and consider the audience when settling on the voice of a particular message. 6. Role Consider the role of a particular piece of communication. If it’s summarizing a report, don’t go into so much detail that the report itself is unnecessary (unless, of course, you’re providing an executive summary for a company leader who doesn’t have time to read it). If it’s part of a larger project, match your writing style to the approach of the overall suite of materials. 7. Goal Focus on the expected or hoped-for outcome. Whether you’re writing to a superior or a subordinate, or to a colleague or someone outside your company or organization, be clear but courteous about the goal of your correspondence. 8. Candor Avoid euphemisms or generic references; name topics outright. Diplomacy is a foundation of successful business transactions, but you can undermine success by seeming too solicitous or vague about sensitive matters. Be forthright in your discussion. 9. Formality Standards for business correspondence have become more relaxed, but maintain a professional tone, avoiding slang or text-speak, exclamation points, and overly informal salutations and sign-offs. 10. Words with Friends Be cautious about making exceptions about formality when corresponding with coworkers or associates you consider friends or confidants. Just because you dish or swear when the two of you chat in person doesn’t mean you should do so in email messages or other electronic communications located on a company network. Drop the formality a notch, certainly, but don’t document your lapses in professional behavior. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Creative Writing 10155 Boxing IdiomsPlurals of Proper Names

Convert Molarity to Parts Per Million Example Problem

Convert Molarity to Parts Per Million Example Problem Molarity and parts per million (ppm) are two units of measurement used to describe the concentration of a chemical solution. One mole is equivalent to the molecular or atomic mass of the solute. Parts per million, of course, refers to the number of molecules of solute per million parts of a solution. Since both of these units of measurement are commonly referred to in chemistry, its helpful to understand how to convert from one to the other. This example problem demonstrates how to convert molarity to parts per million. Molarity to ppm Problem A solution contains Cu2 ions at a concentration of 3 x 10 -4 M. What is the Cu2 concentration in ppm? Solution ï » ¿Parts per million, or ppm, is a measure of the amount of a substance per million parts of a solution.1 ppm 1 part substance X/ 1 x 106 parts solution1 ppm 1 g X/ 1 x 106 g solution1 ppm 1 x 10-6 g X/ g solution1 ppm 1 ÃŽ ¼g X/ g solution If the solution is in water and the density of water 1 g/mL then1 ppm 1 ÃŽ ¼g X / mL solution Molarity uses moles/L, so the mL need to be converted to L1 ppm 1 ÃŽ ¼g X /( mL solution)x(1 L/1000 mL)1 ppm 1000 ÃŽ ¼g X / L solution1 ppm 1 mg X/L solution We know the molarity of the solution, which is in moles/L. We need to find mg/L. To do this, convert moles to mg.moles/L of Cu2 3 x 10-4 M From the periodic table, the  atomic mass of Cu 63.55 g/molmoles/L of Cu2 (3 x 10-4 mol x 63.55 g/mol)/Lmoles/L of Cu2 1.9 x 10-2 g/L We want mg of Cu2, somoles/L of Cu2 1.9 x 10-2 g/L x 1000 mg/1 gmoles/L of Cu2 19 mg/LIn dilute solutions 1 ppm 1 mg/L.moles/L of Cu2 19 ppm Answer:A solution with 3 x 10-4 M concentration of Cu2 ions is equivalent to 19 ppm. ppm to Molarity Conversion Example You can perform the unit conversion the other way, too. Remember, for dilute solutions, you can use the approximation that 1 ppm is 1 mg/L. Use the atomic masses from the periodic table to find the molar mass of the solute. For example, lets find the ppm concentration of chloride ions in a 0.1 M NaCl solution. A  1 M solution of sodium chloride (NaCl) has a molar mass 35.45 for chloride, which you find from looking up the atomic mass of chlorine on the periodic table and noting there is only 1 Cl ion per NaCl molecule. The mass of sodium doesnt come into play since were only looking at chloride ions for this problem.  So, you know have the relation: 35.45 gram/mole or 35.5 g/mol You either move the decimal point over one space to the left or multiply this value times 0.1 to get the number of grams in a 0.1 M solution, to give you 3.55 grams per liter for a 0.1 M NaCl solution. 3.55 g/L is the same as 3550 mg/L Since 1 mg/L is about 1 ppm: A 0.1 M solution of NaCl has a concentration of about 3550 ppm Cl ions.

Fulfillment of an American Dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fulfillment of an American Dream - Essay Example How a person decide about economic matters are in line with how one will maximize utilities with the budget that they have. (Kabeer) More people see America as a place where they could gain economic stability because in here, they expect equality for an opportunity. Immigration is not an easy phase for those nationalities coming to America to fulfill their dream. It is free to dream, to hope for good things to come and to wish for a better life but not all were able to live this wonderful dream. There are still some who area victims of inequality in America. There are times when one is being harmed because of the color of their skin. Yes, they say that America is the land of the free but that is the bitter irony. That here in what they call land of the free some are being contained just because the color of their skin is black or brown and not as white as some thinks American color should be. These people have not thought of the fact that America is the land of Immigrants. That if we trace it way back in history, the native dwellers of this country are the Indians. So why should one discriminate another when if we look back, our brothers fought for freedom and equality, the very thing that some are not giving their fellowman. W

Edit application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Edit application - Essay Example Just after I entered University, my problems began that affected my ability to concentrate on my studies resulting in the seven repeats. In 2010, my mother wanted to divorce my father to which father declined resulting in constant fighting between my parents affecting my ability to concentrate on my studies resulting in a low-grade, and I got low grades. The effect was I had to go back-on-track program in 2010, but within the same year my father went away leaving my mother without any money, and he did not provide any money for my upkeep either. Access to finances became a major problem since my mother was not in a position to find a job because she cannot speak English. I have to work to get money to finance our upkeep spending more of the time than I could concentrate on the studies. After completing the back-on-track program, I did not have enough finances for my schooling, and I had to apply for a student loan. In the time, I developed mental pressure and irregular rest owing to my school and job responsibilities to take care of myself and my mother that resulted in stomach pains. I was forced to frequently seek medical attention from the the family doctor in 2012 that in turn referred me to a specialist for further medical attention with the stomach pains increasing and affecting my studies. After medical attention from the specialist, I was informed that the cause of the stomach pains was too much pressure and in a bad mental state. By the end of 2012, I was admitted for emergency owing to a lot of stomach pain, and I spit blood. The sickness and family pressure affected my ability to concentrate on my studies resulting in the repeats. The stomach pains did not recede even after treatment, and I was forced to take a term of in 2013 spring taking the time to go back to China for treatment. From that point forward my health situation improved and I was in a position to start my University education again. I took Math 157, Econ 103,

Using Stimuluses to Make a Final Performance :: Acting Education Drama Theatre Essays

Using Stimuluses to Make a Final Performance For our drama portfolio we were given many different stimuli to work with that all gave us different ideas for our final performance. I choose two stimuli and used them to develop ideas. My first stimulus I would like to talk about is a sentence about poppies that was given to us. We took our stimulus and brainstormed ideas. We looked at different drama strategies to employ that would help us understand the text. The sentence, which was about poppies made us concentrate on the aspect of war. Therefore death was the main idea but not necessarily due to war but to other reasons. Poppies are red and red symbolises blood, death, danger, wrong and love. As well as the performance consisting of pain an idea would be to also portray love. So we were thinking of a performance with a contrast of love and death. Loss will convey the blood death and danger so we should use loss as a main element within the piece. However, we were forgetting what poppies actually are flowers. This obvious aspect should be included, as a poppy is obviously a flower and death is an obvious element within war. They are both stating the obvious and therefore some strategies should be used to gain ideas from this aspect of poppies. We used hot seating on someone who is a presenter at a garden show. We selected some sentences about flowers and thought of using narrating to say them. At the same we created some still images that were related to the text to investigate the link between the poppies and the idea of dying in war. We now had a few initial ideas that could be developed further and used within our final piece. My second stimulus was to be put in the position of a mother. I was told that my son had been missing in action and I receive a letter from him which is back dated two months ago. We took our stimulus and started to create ideas again. We took into account the time period and how life would be different then. We concentrated on the parent’s and son’s relationship and the parent’s priorities. What would be the most important thing in their life at that moment in time? There were many aspects to consider so we decided to use hot seating as our first strategy. We also had to consider the conditions the son was living in as it was set in the war. It was important for the audience to understand the atmosphere not only with the setting but within the

Historical Development of the 1960s Essay

Historical Development of the 1960s Introduction            Of the many historical eras, the 1960 era is regarded as one of the most controversial eras ever in the history of America. However, this was not the anticipation that most of American citizens had. At the very beginning of the 1960s, many believed that this was perhaps the most promising era yet. They even dubbed this era the golden age. The expectations of the people intensified in 1961 when John F. Kennedy took the office of the president. His charisma and enthusiasm won the hearts and trust of the American people. They strongly believed that his government would provide solutions to the major problems that they were facing at the time. However, to the surprise of many, the decade turned out to be the complete opposite of what they had expected. The president himself was assassinated, a chaotic storm characterized by protests by civil rights movements engulfed the country, and instead of the war in Vietnam coming to a halt, it intensified. This essay will strive to create an interconnection between these events which shaped up the 1960s. It will tackle incidents relating to the free speech movement, the Vietnamwar, the Black Panther Party, Rock-n-roll, and the women’s movement, also known as the feminist movement, as witnessed in this decade.            An issue that had been a thorn in the flesh of the American people was coexistence of the white Americans and the African-Americans. Though the slave trade had been abolished by this time, issues of discrimination were still rampant in society. The African Americans would hence dedicate themselves to fighting for equality for their people in this society. At the very beginning of 1960, some four black students defied the norms of society at that particular time and sat down at a white’s-only lunch counter. Their actions were succeeded by demonstrations at that counter every day, drawing the nation’s attention.            6 years down the line, the African-American community still wanted society to regard them as equal with the rest of the Americans and this led to the formation of the Black Panther Party. It was originally known as the Black panther Party of self-defense but the name changed. This party movement was however founded for the sole purpose of eradicating police brutality in African-American neighborhoods. However, with the rapid expansion of the party and the start of a publication, the objectives of the party had diversified. This diversification meant that the party was keener on social empowerment thus disregarding the exclusivity of race. This however sparked up problems within the party since the radical members differed in opinion with the members that were in support of their socialistic cause. This made the party’s political motive to be disoriented and the government at that time considered the party as a national threat.            The Black community of the United States was not the only entity that was fighting for its civil rights. Gender inequality was still a societal vice that America was struggling with. During this time, men were given more opportunities as compared to women in virtually every field and this led to the second wave of the feminist movement. The job market viewed women as the less productive species. One of the reasons why this notion was upheld was because the women needed time off when they delivered and most employers believed the assertion that women would quit their job when they got pregnant. More to this, the society had branded the man as the provider of the home. It was therefore argued that men needed jobs and better paythan women because of the fact that there were people who were dependent on them. Generally, society had defined the place of a woman as the home; whether she was educated or not.            In 1963, Betty Freidan wrote a book, The Feminine Mystique. This book highlighted the frustration of the educated housewives and how society had forcefully put them in a state of dissatisfaction. What shocked many is the fact that she defied society’s assumption that women found satisfaction in only serving their families. This book stirred a revolutionary movement, one which historians refer to as the second wave of the feminist movement. This movement saw society begin to give women more chances in schools, the job market and also in matters involving remuneration.            From the historical facts available from this era, it is evident that civil rights protests and demonstrations were the order of the day. Even students took the liberty of staging their own protests during this period. The Free Speech Movement was the name given to the protests that the students staged. This movement took place in 1964-1965 at the University of California, Berkley, when students were expressing their discontentment on the ban that the school administration had imposed on on-campus political activities. The students rationale for the protests was that this ban was infringement of their academic freedom and right to free speech. The students felt that they could do more than just confine themselves to books. The objectives of the movement had been put in place way before the movement began when students in the campus formed a political party that enabled them to get involved in off-campus political and societal issues.            The students used this platform to source funds from campus students to support civil rights causes. However, this right was exclusively granted to the political clubs in the school and this is what prompted the school to impose the ban on on-campus political activities. Though the students were doing this out of good will, society was of a contrary opinion. For this reason, voters gave the governor seat to Ronald Regan in 1966 whose campaign forte was to make good the mess that the Berkley students had made.            Events in this era were not just restricted to the local scene. The events that America was involved in during this era also crossed boarders. America had been in conflict with Vietnam since the 1950’s. With the election of J. F. Kennedy, Americans were hopeful that this conflict was finally going to come to an end following his campaign theme; his government had answers to America’s biggest problems. However, these hopes seemed to go down the drain in 1963 when Kennedy was assassinated. The hopes of the American people were now in Lyndon B. Johnson’s hands. His government had two wars to fight; the war against poverty, and the war in Vietnam.            However, Johnson had committed himself to establishing an anti-communist south-Vietnam, a trait he had inherited from his predecessors in their solidarity to the country. For this reason, he had to make a choice to forego the war on poverty to attend to the war in Vietnam. More to this, the president had gained the support of the congress and they gave him the authorization to protect the American soldiers and their allies by all means necessary. The prolongation of the war caused a divide in the nation. Some were in support of the war, others protested against the war, whereas others fled to neighboring Canada to avoid being drafted into the war.            Amidst all these events that were happening, people needed something to give them an escape from it all even if it was temporary. Entertainment was the surest way of attaining such. In this era, the most common form of entertainment was music. Rock-n-rollwas the most popular music genre at the time. The developments in this genre were referred to as invasions and were named on the basis of where they originated from. The British invasion occurred in the early 1960s. In mid 1960s, garage rock was unveiled. The genre was common in North America. The genre gained this name because it was played by armatures at the comfort of their homes in their garages. However, this genre barely made it past the 1960s as it was replaced by other genres. Conclusion            The 1960s era, as highlighted above was a rather event-full one in the American history. Though it may seem like the era did not live up to its expectation as the golden age, it can be argued that to some extent it did. This is because the events during this time acted as milestones especially with regards to civil rights issues. However, the prolongation of the war in Vietnam did injustice to the country as it caused a divide. In conclusion, the 1960s were not shy of historical events. References Fischer, Klaus P.  America in White, Black, and Gray: The Stormy 1960s. New York [u.a.: Continuum, 2006. Print. Source document

The Legalization Of Gay Marriage - 1269 Words

It appears people are less frequently getting married to hide being gay than in the past. Now it has be-come more prominent socially. The legalization of gay marriage has led to more people feeling comfortable coming out. There are definitely still people that hide being gay due to family, friends, or religious lack of acceptance. This could af-fect treatment of patient if they do not fully tell the physician their full sexual history. In the video, one of the characters said, â€Å"everything in its own time†. A person should not be pressured to come out, he or she can take their time and come out when the time is right. If a younger person is not comfortable having this conversation or is afraid to come out then it is important for the†¦show more content†¦This tape is a little old so what Ellen was experiencing was less accepted during that time. Ellen was actually one of the first people to come out as a female celebrity. Now days the ideal of normality has expan ded. Back then people where more worries about losing their shows, sales, records etc. if they are out publically. Today some gay people may still feel a little less comfortable displaying their lives for everyone, such as family pictures placed out on desks. There might still be a bit of a double standard. Give your own comment on the group discussion: It was interesting to hear about Ellen’s history as an actress coming out from some of the older students in the room. Some of them could remember when she came out and how big of a deal it was to everyone. Now days, growing up haven known Ellen as a popular talk show host and actress it is hard to image the publics initial reaction. I think this is a good example of how times have changed a bit and the general public has become more accepting. Ellen’s experience also shed light onto different factors that might affect one’s decision to come out, such as its effect on one’s social life or career. How do you think this film clip will assist you in approaching and treating your patient in a holistic man-ner: The video showing Ellen’s character on TV struggling with coming out to her friends showed just how hard it can be for a patient. There is a lot of emotional stress involved with theShow MoreRelatedLegalization Gay Marriage1099 Words   |  5 PagesLegalization of Gay Marriage What is the definition of marriage? The dictionary states it as being the legal union between a man and a woman as husband and wife. However, times are changing as the gay life style becomes more accepted by society it is time to allow all couples regardless of sex to enjoy equal protections, rights and benefits under the law. Perhaps, it makes the most sense to consider arguments against same sex marriage to realize why it should be legalized; these arguments touchRead MoreThe Legalization Of Gay Marriage1527 Words   |  7 PagesAnna Aiello Professor Jessica Lugo College Writing 1 25 September 2015 The Legalization of Gay Marriage A New York Times article honors that on June 26th, the United States declared same-sex marriage a right nationwide. â€Å"Love wins,† chanted the crowd outside the Supreme Court (Liptak). The Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrated the new feeling they received of love equality. For many years, homosexuals companions have been deprived from their right to become legally united. ThisRead MoreThe Legalization Of Gay Marriage1749 Words   |  7 PagesThe Legalization of Gay Marriage: A Step to Equality Imagine a world where heterosexuals are the minority. Straight people would be the ones fighting for the same rights as homosexuals. 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Same-sex marriage should be legalized since it is the natural form of the marriage evolution, part of human rights and able to prevent psychological stress from the LGB community. (LGB- lesbian, gays and bisexuals) Problem and solution I.INTRODUCTION Picture this... A man meets someoneRead MoreThe Legalization of Gay Marriage Essay2475 Words   |  10 PagesAmericans on several levels. Politically, gay marriage is one of the hot issues that public officials are asked to take a position on. Legally, matters of jurisdiction have caused uncertainty on whether a couple of the same sex will be recognized should they decide to move. Socially, America is still in turmoil due to how strongly both the opposition and advocacy feel for their cause. This has resulted hate crimes and protest, which brings gay marriage to a personal level as well. 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If our government, as it claims, is secular in nature, then it would be wrong for it to base its treatment of individuals outside the boundaries of what is naturally understood as the right of every man, woman, and child, to pursue a lifestyle that is fulfilling. By the same token, white people, black peopleRead MoreAbortion, Gay Marriage, And The Legalization Of Marijuana2946 Words   |  12 Pagesgatherings, private debate, and especially political races. Whether you know it or not, if you assimilate into society in anyway, you probably have an opinion on some issues in today’s culture. Some major topics in today’s news are abortion, gay marriage, and t he legalization of marijuana. These issues have increasingly divided us as a society, and have also infiltrated into our political affiliation. The two major parties, Democrats and Republicans, have never been able to see eye to eye on theses issues