UNIT-1 [ Lesson-1: What is Business writing? ]
After reading this lesson you will be able to:
- state what communication means
- distinguish between communicating about personal matters and communicating about business matters
- define business writing and
- state main forms for business writing.
What is Business writing
Introduction
We are social beings. We often talk or write to our friends, relations or neighbors about various things. We may talk or write to these people about the day-to-day happenings in our life, about our happiness general well-being or about anything that concerns our personal life. In other words, we communicate with each other about personal matters.
We communicate with others about personal matters.
Welfare; health and happiness
We also talk or write to many other people who may not be our relations, friends and neighbours. They may be executives, managers, salespersons or secretaries. These people do some business. We talk or write to these people for employment, advertising, buying or selling goods or about anything that a business person does for the good of his or her business. In other words, we also communicate with each other about business matters.
Persons holding management position; persons who have authority to carry out decisions, laws, etc. regarding his/her organisation
We communicate with others about business matters.
ACTIVITY
Here are some situations in which you can communicate with people either about personal matters or about business matters. Write PM for a situation about personal matters and BM for a situation about business matters.
1. Arif sends an invitation asking his friend Shafiq to attend his sister’s wedding.
2. A TV ad: If you are a young, energetic man or woman with a Master’s degree in any social science, why don’t you send your CV with your contact phone number? We have a vacancy for a challenging job. Attractive salary (Address).
3. On the Phone:
Afrin : I’m sorry to hear that you hurt your leg in a road accident. How is it now?
Kaiser : Oh, not so bad! I’m better now. Thanks for calling.
4. At a shop
Arshad : How much is this watch?
Shanta : 400 Taka.
5. In a letter
: I am applying for the post of Asstt. Cashier in your bank.
6. In a Party:
Salma : Nice shirt!
Munir : Thank you.
Salma : Where did you buy it from?
Munir : There’s a sale at Metro Super. It’s quite cheap.
7.Mr. Ahmed: I’d like a report on the progress so far of the construction work of the bridge. Could you do
it with as much detail as possible, please?
Sonia : Sure. when do you need it, sir?
Mr. Ahmed : As soon as you can.
8. Jaasuil : Let’s go to the International Fair this evening.
Masud : Sorry, I’ve been there once. I’m going to watch My Fair Lady on the video.
9. A notice :
A meeting of the Board of Directors will be held at the Conference Room on 25 May at 1.30 p.m. Please attend the meeting.
10. Man 1 : You book strong and fit. Why do you beg?
Man 2 : What shall I do? I look for work almost every day from morning till night, but – no luck!
Advertisement Curriculum Vitae (Vi:tai) – brief written account of one’s education, employment, work experience, etc.
Business English is a part of Business Communication, so before understanding Business English, the term Business Communication should be clarified. Business Communication uses two words together “business” and “communication.” Business as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is
(1) The occupation, work, or trade in which a person is engaged;
(2) Commercial, industrial or professional dealings: the buying and selling of commodities or services;
(3) Any commercial establishment;
(4) Volume or amount of commercial trade;
commercial policy or practice.” By adding these definitions to the word communication, Business communication can be defined as “transmitting of information in connection with an occupation or the conduct of commerce.” In other words “flow of information which takes place within a business environment is called business communication.
Broadly communication is of two types:
- Written or Non-verbal.
- Oral or Verbal
Business people work in business organisations like firms, factories, shops, offices, etc. They often write to people within their organisations, and to people outside their organisations. And in return, they get replies
in writing from those people. All this writing about business matters is business writing. Business writing is part of written communication.
Writing about business matters is business writing.
Business writing is part of written communication.
ACTIVITY
Read the passage silently and answer the questions that follow. Ms. Daisy Rahman is managing director of a fashion designing firm of international standards. This summer the firm is going to launch a sales campaign for a new frilly white and blue dress. Ms. Rahman asked her secretary to call a meeting of the Heads of Public Relations, Production, Sales, Personnel and Training Divisions. The meeting mainly discussed three things in detail: The production cost, price and the sales promotion, and took the following steps:
(a) Train the sales persons.
(b) Advertise in newspapers for 3 models
(c) Arrange a TV fashion show with the selected models.
(d) Arrange with the important clothes shops in the country for the display of the dress.
Title used before the name of a woman whether married or unmarried.
In this passage there are a number of situations in which people are needed either to speak or to write to communicate with others. For example, Ms. Daisy Rahman will usually tell or phone her Secretary to call the meeting, but the sales Manager will not usually speak to/phone the editor of a newspaper, asking him to publish an ad wanting three models. Instead she/he will send the ad in writing for publication. Now list as many situations as possible in the table below, in which the persons in the passage will usually write to other persons/organisations for communication.
ACTIVITY
Suppose you are manager of a publishing firm. You are going to hold the publication ceremony of a new book on the future prospects of the Grameen Bank. You think that there will be a great demand for this
book in Bangladesh as well as in other developing countries. Now list five situations in which written communication will usually be used. Mention who will write, what she/he will write about and who she/he will write to.
Functions of Business Writing
Every business message is designed to achieve a specific business objective. It’s success depends on what it says and to what extent it induces a favourable response from the reader. Thus, business writing has two functions (1) to inform and (2) to influence.

(1) Informing the Reader
To be effective, a business message must say something important. In order to make certain that it does, you need to gather all the information pertinent to your communication and you must express yourself clearly, accurately and concisely. The message that says little or too much wastes the reader’s time and fails to give him/her essential information. So adequate preparation before writing, clear thinking, and exact expression are necessary for effective business communication.
(2) Influencing the Reader
In addition to providing information the business message must also influence the reader’s attitudes and action. To secure this, you need to have an adequate knowledge of English language and an understanding of human nature. You must remember no communication is wholly successful unless the reader like it.
What form of writing do people in business use? If you are a business person, you can write letters to other business people in or outside your business organisation. You can also write letters to newspapers and journals.
Business people write letters
You can also write short notes to people within the organisation. These notes are memos.
Business people write memos.
You can also write reports on various activities of an organisation. Business people write reports for themselves as well as for other business people and organisations.
Memorandums sing: memorandum short form : memo.
Business people write reports.
Therefore, common forms of business writing are letters, memos and reports.
Accounts of or statements about the activities of an organisation or a person.
ACTIVITY
Read each situation on the left and then write in the box on the right the appropriate name of the form of business writing (i.e., letters, memos or reports). Situation form of business writing
1 You want to inform the assistant production manager of the company where you work that the time of the Board meeting has been shifted from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
2 Some customers have complained in some of the newspapers that, the quality of your products (say, mango
chutney) has fallen to a great extent. But in actual fact the chutney they complained about is not the one your
company produces – it’s a product of a different company. You want to clarify the whole thing.
3 Your firm has suffered some losses this year you have been asked to write about why it happened and what you can suggest for the remedy.
4 One Mr. West shows his interest in buying the jute goods your firm is now producing. He wants to know more about the varieties of the goods. You are informing him.
5 As head of an organisation you want to know about the possibility of a joint venture with a similar organisation.
Need for Business Writing
The ability to write effectively is a valuable business asset. One reason is that a great deal of business is transacted in writing, so that sooner or later every employee finds it necessary to put ideas on paper.
Another reason is that If you are an effective business writer you can use your skill to help increase company’s sales and profit by promoting good relations with customers and general public. Another reason is proficiency in writing gives you in business a personal advantage over less capable writers and enhances your self confidence, which is a necessary quality for business success.
Questions for Review
1. What type of Organisation is the firm? (Ans. Business)
2. What does the firm produce?
3. Why does Ms. Rahman ask her Secretary to call a meeting?
4. Who will be asked to attend the meeting?
5. What did the meeting discuss?
6. What steps were taken in the meeting about the newspaper and TV ads?
7. What is business writing? What are its function and why you need it?
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