7 Cs OF BUSINESS WRITING

• COMPLETENESS
• CONCISENESS
• CONSIDERATION
• CLARITY
• CONCRETENESS
• COURTESY
• CORRECTNESS
 COMPLETENESS
• Answer all questions that are asked
• Give something extra when desirable
• Check for five Ws & one H

• Who What When Where Why

• and How
 Completeness
• You may send me a statement of projected cash flow for
the next quarter by 22 Oct, 09 via e-mail at my address
abc@yahoo.com.
• I am sending you a payment cheque on account of the
purchase of 20 tables amounting to Rs 100,000 drawn
on ACB Main Branch Lahore dated 15 Oct, 09 in favor of
WorkMan Furniture.
• Let us have a meeting of all departmental heads at
10:00
a.m. on 18 Oct, 2009 in the meeting room of admin
• block on the issue of ….
The information you requested regarding our inventory
• will be sent to your office by return fax on 16 Oct, 09.
We are pleased to quote you our rates for the supply of
20 ton deformed steel bars which will be delivered at
your site after one week of the receipt of advance
payment.
 Exercise-1
• The owner of a mutual fund stock wrote to
the investment department of your bank
,that he wanted to sell his shares. He
asked,” just how does your bank want me
to authorize this sale?”

• How would you reply to this query keeping

the five Ws and one H guideline in mind?
 Exercise-2
 You are the president of an industry association
and have received the following inquiry from an
out of town member, “I think I would like to attend
my first meeting of the association, even though I
am not acquainted with your city. Will you please
tell me where the next meeting is being held?

• How would you reply to this letter keeping in

mind
Completeness of the message?
 CONCISENESS
1. Eliminate wordy expressions
2. Include only relevant statements
– be focussed,
– prune & avoid long
– explanations avoid gushing
3. Avoid politemess
unnecessary repetitions
– use short forms the second
– time use pronouns
 Conciseness

• Your response was helpful

• Four rules should be observed by all
• He bought flip top chairs
• Please submit your forms to Mr. Karim by
5:00
• We appreciate your confidence
 Exercise -3
• Find single word substitutes for the phrases
• Along the same lines
• At this time
• Consensus of opinion
• Date of policy
• Due to the fact that
• During the time of the
day
• During the year of
• Few and far between
• For a price of
• For the reason of that
• From the point of view of
• Have need of
• In accordance with your request
• In due course
• Allow me to say
• In reply , I wish to say
• Please be advised
• Please find attached
 Exercise -4
• Rewrite the following by omitting articles, trite
expressions, rambling sentences and
repetitions:

• At this time I am writing to you to enclose the post

paid appointment card for the purpose of arranging
a convenient time when we might get-together for
a personal interview.
 Exercise –4 contd.

• We hereby wish to let you know that we

fully appreciate the confidence you
have reposed in us.
 Exercise – 4 contd
• Will you ship us sometime, any time during the
month of October , or even November if you are
rushed , for November will suit us just as well , in
fact a little bit better , 300 of the regular three and
a half inch blue arm bands with white sewn letter
in the middle .
 Exercise – 4 contd
• In due course
• Please find attached the list you requested
• Such refreshing comments are few and far
between
• It was known by Mr. Sam that we must
reduce inventory
• In most cases the date of policy is
indicated in the upper right
corner.
 CONSIDERATION
• Focus on YOU instead of I & WE

• Show reader benefit & interest

• Emphasize positive& pleasant

• Apply integrity & ethics

 Consideration

• You will be able to shop evenings with

extended hours
• The check was not enclosed
• We have differing interpretations of the
utility of the proposal
• We refund when the returned item is clean
and resalable
Ex. 5-Write with a ‘you ‘ attitude ,
it shows consideration
• I want to send my congratulations for
---

• We will ship soon the goods your

May 4 order----

• We pay eight percent interest on -----

 Ex. 5-Write with a ‘you ‘ attitude , it
shows consideration ( Contd.)
• May I take this opportunity to express my thanks
for the account you recently opened with our
store. We are pleased to furnish a wide variety of
products for the home of the individual customer.
We want you to take full advantage of the store
services, for we have the largest store in the city.
Also we make deliveries for our customer free of
charge with in a 30 miles radius of our store.We
welcome you to Ebony. If we can be of additional
help please let us know .
Ex. 6-Avoid negative – unpleasant words
to show consideration
It is impossible to open an account for you
today.

We don’t refund if the returned item is soiled and

unusable.

When you travel on company expense, you will

not receive approval for first class fare.

To avoid further delay and inconvenience , we

are sending this report by express mail.
 Ex. 6-Avoid negative – unpleasant words
to show consideration (Contd.)

• It is impossible to open an account for you

today.
• We regret to inform you that you have not
been selected for the post of Finance
Manager.
• When you travel on company expense,
you will not receive approval for business
class.
• I do not agree with you over this
proposal.
 Ex. –7:Show reader benefit or interest in the
reader ; in the letter from an insurance company
to policy holders .
• Because we have not written to you in
sometime , please help us bring our record
by filling and returning the other half of the
card .
 CONCRETENESS
• Use specific facts and figures

• Put action into verbs

• Choose vivid image building words by

comparison & figurative language (?)

• Use more adjectives and adverbs

 Concreteness

• PAC students are showing 70 % results in

external exams. In 2010 two CA students and
one ACCA student won distinction.
• He has been maintaining a CGPA of 3.8 at the
university for the last four semesters.
• In 2009, Pakistan’s population reached 180
million mark.
• The progress of the project is 80 % this month,
and it is appreciable.
• The sales have gone up by 15 % in the past one
week.
 Ex. 8- Rewrite the following in concrete
form as the sentences are too general and
vague.

• This computer reproduces campaign

letters fast

• Our product has won several prizes.

• These brakes stop a car within a short

distance.
 Ex. 9-Put action into the words by using
active instead of passive voice.

• Tests were made by us

• A full report will be sent to you by the supervisor.

• The contract had a requirement ….

• Mr. Singh will give consideration to the report ….

 Ex. 9-Put action into the words by using
active instead of passive voice. (Contd.)
• The test was administered by the TA.
• The Board was informed by the Financial
Officer.
• A decision has been made by the
Director.
• The function of this office is the collection
of payments and the compilation of
statements.
• Prof. Omer will give consideration to the
report.
Ex. 10-Use vivid image building words –
adjectives and adverts , and use less of
abstract nouns

• The camera has a system that gives good

pictures.
 CLARITY
• Choose short , familiar & conversational
words
• Construct effective sentences and
paragraphs by unity of idea and
sequencing
• Achieve appropriate readability by using
formal & informal language
• Include examples, illustrations & visual
aids
 Clarity

• His report focused on age and gender of

managers
• After our botanist had planted 10,000
berry plants, the deer came into his farm
and crushed them
• The data we studied showed that your
property is profitable and in high demand
 Ex. 11-Use simple words

Circa(L)
Subsequent
Promulgate
Inadvertence
e.g..(L)
Domicile
Remuneratio
n
 Ex. 12-Choose a conversational style

• After perusal of pertinent data the conclusion is that a

lucrative market exists for the subject property .

• Easement for egress and ingress

• A letter from the quality bureau to a plumber said – “The

efficacy of hydrochloric acid is indisputable, but the
corrosive residue is incompatible with metallic
permanence".
• Headings:8-10 words

• Sentence length:15-20 words

• Paragraphs:40-70 words

Soft words vs hard words

 COURTESY
• Be sincere , tactful, thoughtful and
appreciative

• Omit expressions that hurt , irritate, or

insult

• Grant apologies graciously

 Courtesy

• It’s my understanding
• Sometimes my wording is not precise, let
me try again
• Both men and women, all of you should be
concerned about the issue
• Sir, do you have biscuits
Ex. 13-Show courtesy by avoiding
tactless & blunt language.

• Your letter is not clear at all.

• Obviously, if you would read your

policy carefully you will be able to
answer these questions yourself.

• Apparently you have already

forgotten what I wrote you two
weeks ago.
Ex. 14-Use gender friendly substitutes

• Mankind
• The best man for the job
• Manmade
• Manpower
• Businessman
• Sales man
• Chairman
 Ex. 14 –Contd.
• You guys should all be concerned about the
issue.

• Each manger has an assigned place –

he should park his car….

• Each customer will have change noted

on his bill
 CORRECTNESS

• Use the right level of language

• Check accuracy of facts, figures and words
• Maintain acceptable writing mechanics
• Choose non discriminatory language
• Use parallel language
 Correctness

• More than one minister is going to resign

• You and I were at the meeting day before
yesterday
• What is the name of your uncle whom we
met this morning
• One of my colleagues is a Japanese
• He is the better of the two