COMSKILLS PRELIM

Lesson 1: Technical Writing

Technical Writing is a type of writing that falls
within the general field of business, science and
technology and is used in a wide spectrum of
activities throughout each workday.
It is reader-oriented, task related and purposeful,
and is the result of conscientious effort.
As it often deals with the business and science,
technical writing emphasizes objectivity, accuracy
and restraint.
It appeals more to the readers mind than to his
emotions.
It has a Unitarian purpose and is usually intended
for readers who, to some degree, have some a
special interest in the subject matter.
In technical writing, the writer is the expert on his
subject matter. His communication will involve
thinking, analysing, solving problems, gathering
facts, planning and organizing information
according to acceptable communication
procedures.
Technical writing requires the cultivation of certain
qualities like correctness in grammar, punctuation
and spelling and other skills needed in writing
effective sentences and paragraphs. Of special
concern, are around organization, clarity, simplicity,
and directness of style. In other words, skill in
technical writing is based on skill in writing in
general.
Nevertheless, technical writing often calls for the
use of certain special forms and requires familiarity
with some special techniques not generally used in
general composition writing, like the use of lists,
and even the process of documentation.
Importance of Technical Writing
In todays world, skill in technical writing is
important and highly valued modern technology
notwithstanding. People in business and/or the
organizations cannot carry out their job
responsibilities successfully, and organizations
cannot function, without effective communication.
As the lifeblood of any organization, or
professional group, effective communication
definitely has a far reaching effect on the groups
reputation and ultimate success.
The ability to express ideas in words is a
professional tool necessary to a career where we
certainly need, for instance, to exchange
information, ideas or plans, order supplies, make
decisions, rules, proposals or agreements.
Writing is necessary in almost every stage of
every important undertaking. For instance, before a

project is started, a feasibility study and/or plans

are made in writing; when the project has started,
memoranda and letters are exchanged as problems
arise; progress reports on the project are made;
report.
Clearly, technical writing is the writers tool to
inform as well as be informed; to direct as well as
be directed; to influence; and to evaluate.
Students on their part can profit by a course in
technical writing. It can make them aware of the
writing standards and procedures they can use
after graduation, and which could lay a foundation
for professional advancement and selfimprovement.
In summary, young people should realize that
since skill in writing is important, they should learn
to put down their words and their futures on
paper
Lesson 2: Principles and Style
Principles of Technical Writing
1. Know who your reader is and assume that
he is intelligent but uninformed.
2. Decide your purpose and make sure that
every part of your writing contributes to
achieving that purpose.
3. Use simple, concrete and familiar language.
4. Check your writing according to this
principle: Tell your reader what you are
going to tell him, tell him, and then tell him
what youve told him.
5. Make your report attractive.
Style in Technical Writing
A. The Reader
1. Vocabulary
a.) Avoid misusing or confusing words
b.) Avoid unnecessary words
c.) Avoid jargon
d.) Use simple, familiar and concrete words
2. Sentence length and structure
3. Organization The organization of a
technical paper is very much the same as
the order followed in expository writing. The
slight variations depend on the specific type
of technical writing done. A research paper,
a feasibility study, a progress report would
require an introduction that gives the
background of the study but a business
letter or a laboratory report would
immediately begin with the purpose of the
communications

B. The Situation
1. Pertaining to the reader his
responsibility and attitude.
2. Pertaining to the uses of the technical
paper.
C. The Writer a piece of writing, whether technical
or not, is always a reflection of the writer. Part of
the concern of the technical writer is making his
reader think what he wants to reflect of himself in
his writing.
Third person, passive is the most preferred style
by many organizations.
Lesson 3: Types and Functions
Letter a written message addressed to a person
or organization.

Feasibility Study called a recommendation report,

is conducted, after an exploratory work is
performed, to assess whether a larger project is
advisable. It aims to find out the probable market
for the products; to determine the probable income
of operating the project; and to show the
contributions the project can offer to the community
or society, among others.
Case Study designed to give a complete, detailed
account of some phenomenon, which may be an
unhappy family, a disaster; or any juvenile
delinquency. It is conducted to assist a client in
understanding himself and to encourage him to
lead a normal, happy life by bringing out changes in
his social condition.
Lesson 4: Formal Letters

Memoranda a document or other communication

that aids the memory by recording events or
observations on a topic, such as may be used in a
business office.
Resum a personal summary of your professional
history and qualifications
Minutes of the Meeting are the instant written
record of a meeting or hearing. They often give an
overview of the structure of the meeting, starting
with a list of those present, a statement of the
various issues before the participants, and each of
their responses thereto.
Business Report annual business report from a
joint stock company covering the company's
situation and business trend
Proposal an act of offering or suggesting
something for acceptance, adoption, or
performance. A plan or scheme proposed.
Scientific Paper/Research is defined by the
strategy of understanding how everything works
through logical thinking. Conducted using the
scientific method
Abstract is a brief summary of a research article,
thesis, review, conference proceeding or any indepth analysis of a particular subject or discipline,
and is often used to help the reader quickly
ascertain the paper's purpose.
Journal Article A periodical presenting articles on
a particular subject.

LETTER is the writers substitute, formal or

business letter aims to transact business as briefly,
clearly and courteously as possible.
Physical Appearance
A paper must:
Have a good quality,
8 by 11 inches in size or
7 to 7 by 11 inches
Neatness of the typing or legibility of the
writers penmanship
Arrangement of the essential parts of the
letter
Objectives:
Understand the characteristics of formal
letter
Know the parts of a formal letter.
Write a letter of inquiry
Write a letter of response
Prepare a resume
Prepare a memorandum.
Write a business report
Take the minutes of a meeting
PARTS OF THE FORMAL LETTER
1. The Heading and the Dateline
The following letter parts are well-defined in
content, arrangement and relative position with
respect to the other sections.
This is the writers complete address and the date.
H & B Company
749 Yellow Street
Cubao, Quezon City

March 7, 20___
sometimes referred to as the complimentary
address,
it gives the name and complete address of the
person to whom the letter is written
normally, it should contain three to four lines, not
one or two, and it is at least four spaces lower than
the heading (or the dateline).

Attention: Mr. Rene Angeles

Gentlemen;
or

H & B Company
Makati City
Metro Manila

Mr. George Nueva

653 Capitol Drive
Cubao, Quezon City

Attention of Mr. Rene Angeles

Gentlemen:

Dr., Mr., Mrs. or Miss may be used in the first line of

the inside address when writing to an individual,
although Dr. is sometimes written out in full.
When the title or company name is long and takes
up a second line of the inside address, the second
line should be indented.
Titles like Manager, Superintendent, Treasurer,
President or Secretary are not abbreviated when
they follow a name as identification of the person.
Moreover, they do not replace titles of politeness,
like Mr., preceding the name.

4. The Body of the Letter

The body or the message proper should begin two
spaces below the salutation(or the subject line, if
there is one).

3. The salutation is actually a complimentary

greeting written even with the left margin two
spaces below the inside address.
The following are the standard salutation forms for
letters to individual in their order of formality:
Ex.

Typical Complimentary close are Yours truly, Very

truly yours, Yours very truly, Sincerely yours,
Cordially yours, and Sincerely.

The plural forms for all formal salutations are:

6. The Signature
Using block form, writers typewritten name was
usually placed four spaces below the
complimentary close.

Gentlemen: (in writing to a company, organization,

or committee made up entirely of men or of men
and women).
Ladies: (in writing to a company, organization,
committee group made up entirely of women)
A salutation is normally followed by a colon (:)
however, an informal one (where the reader is
addressed by his given name) may also be
punctuated by a coma ( , ) as in:
Dear Andro or Dear Uncle Vic,
Salutations should always agree with the first part
of the inside address in number and in gender.
When the writer wishes his letter to a company to
reach a particular individual, he writes an Attention
line two spaces below the inside address either at
the let margin or at the center, thus:
H & B Company
Makati City
Metro Manila

The lines within the paragraph are single-spaced,

although short letters(five to six lines) are doublespaced to give breadth.
5. The Complimentary Close
Centered two spaces below the body of the letter

Respectfully yours is usually reserved for letters to

dignitaries high rank.

Example 1
Very truly yours,
(Signed) Roberto Mendoza
(Typed) Roberto Mendoza
Example 2
Company name may be typed in full capitals two
places below the complimentary close and four
spaces above the writers typed name:
Very truly yours,
H & B COMPANY
(Signed) Roberto S. Mendoza
(Typed) Roberto S. Mendoza
7. Identification Initials and/or
Stenographic Reference

Senders initials are typed in capitals in the lower

left corner of the letter aligned with the lowest line
of the signature
It is separated from the typists initials by either a
space, a virgule or a colon
Ex.
HDB bp or HDB/BP or HDB:BP
8. Enclosure
It refers to in the body of the letter
Indicated in lower left margin two spaces below the
identification initials with the word Enclosure(s)
Enc, and the number of enclosures or an
identification of the enclosure(s).
Ex.
HDB bp
HDB/BP
HDB:BP
or
or
Enclosure
Check enclosed
Enclosures:2
(if there are
two enclosures)
Letter Layouts
The arrangement of the different parts of a letter
It should conform to proper usage and should be
governed by certain conventions.

The letter is single-spaced within each letter part

and double spaced between parts and paragraphs.
Handwritten letters, however, are not doublespaced between paragraphs.
How to Prepare the Envelope?
The address on the envelope follows the block form
and is the same before for both block and semiblock forms.
As much as possible, envelope addresses should
not be fewer than three lines and should be doublespaced for better readability and handling
The E-mail
Electronic mail
Faster than traditional sending of letters
Elements of E-mail Message
Header
Address
Subject Line
1. Header
To.
Recipients/recipients name
and/or address are typed
Cc.

TYPES OF LETTER LAYOUT

1. The Block form
A.The Full Block (simply Block style)
- All parts of the letter start at the left margin
B. Modified block style
- The heading or dateline, complimentary
close, and signature are aligned with the right
margin
2. Semi-Block Form
Same as the modified block form but in in this style
the first line of each paragraph which is indented
five to ten spaces
3.Other Letter Styles
a. Indented form the lines of the letter units and
the beginning of paragraphs are indented. This
form has become obsolete because it requires
unnecessary stenographic time for margins
b. Simplified form it use full block form but it
eliminates the salutation and complimentary close
What is the Spacing format of a Letter?

of
the

Stands for courtesy copy/carbon

copy which indicates names
the readers who may be sent
message as courtesy

Bcc.
for

Stands for blind copy. This is used

situations when the addressee is
informed that another party is being
sent the message.

Receipt.

It assures that the message was

received and read

Attachment.

This is the document file

attached to the e-mail
message which can
serve as a cover

then
sheet.

2. Address
In e-mail addresses has its own conventions
Parts of a complete e-mail address
Ex. juan@yahoo.com
a. Local part/user name juan
b. At sign - @
c. Domain name yahoo
d. Community - com

a. Local part/user name the electronic name of

the addressee which can be real or fictitious
b. At sign this separates the local part from the
domain name
c. Domain name this is the e-mail service that
transmits the message.
d. Community this refers to the type of community
or area at which the address belongs. Examples
are .com(commercial), .org(organization), and so
on...
3. Subject Line The most important piece of
information in an e-mail message
The following examples of subject lines of the same
message illustrate this point.
Theres going to be a meeting of HR
HRD meeting
HRD: Urgent Mtg. 3/20
Short E-mail Messages
Can be deliver in one or two screens
The first screen gives the reader the who, what,
when, where, why and how and the second screen
may be for supporting details.
ex. You ask me to analyze the techniques used
in our Cebu plant to see how they can be
applied to our Laguna plant starting next month. I
have determined that we can adopt the following:
*where in our Cebu plant
*why to see how they can be applied to our
Laguna plant
*when next month
*what the following
Long E-Mail Messages
It has three or more screens
It requires a table of contents which can be simply
be a listing of headline.
Ex.
Subject: Improving our Public Image
Were losing our Edge
Whats the solution?
Next Step
It also includes an executive summary which is a
very condensed version of the message stating the
purpose, scope, methods, results, conclusions,
findings, recommendations, next steps(or
whichever apply).

it is important to remember to limit paragraphs to

about five to seven lines, even visually pleasing
coherent fragments, in e-mail messages.
Complimentary Closing of E-mail
Simple courtesy requires salutations or greetings
and closings in e-mail.
Since e-mail is less formal the salutation is also
less formal
Ex. Hi Guys, Dear Bob, for salutation and
Regards or Thanks as closing.
* Always be courteous and use common sense is a
general rule to remember even in todays e-mail
technology
What are the Essential Characteristics of Effective
Formal Letter?
Business letter carries a message that attempts to
influence its reader to take some action or attitude
desired by the writer.
Therefore business letters tries to get the reader to
accept, believe or agree on something.
Successful letters have been found to show clear,
correct and concise language, and a courteous,
positive and individual attitude towards the reader
1. Clarity
Use simple, accurate and concrete language that
helps avoid ambiguity or vagueness.
2. Correctness
Simply means no errors in punctuation and
capitalization, word usage, grammar and spelling,
and sentence and paragraph structure.
3. Conciseness
Expresses an idea in fewest words possible without
sacrificing clarity and completeness of meaning
4. Courtesy
Implies respect, consideration, goodwill, friendship
and helpfulness
In letters, it means, writing in the readers language
and taking the readers viewpoint, the so called
attitude
Keeping in mind the readers interests and desires
Using positive words indicating a willingness to
serve.
ex. You state... and According to you...- avoid this
lines as they can be interpreted as You are a liar
or I dont believe in you