CHAPTER 4
SOLUTIONS
Revising Business Messages
Critical Thinking Discussion Guide
11. A blogger recently asserted that “the pervasive use of email for business has made
the work of writing well even more difficult because it invites—relentlessly—hitting
Send before you have thought through, organized, reviewed, and even rewritten your
message.” Do you agree that the process of writing has become more difficult with
e-mail? (L.O. 1–5)
12. You have just submitted a beautifully researched report. But your supervisor
focused on the two or three little errors that you missed and gave none of the praise
you expected. Was this fair of your supervisor? (L.O. 4, 5)
13. It’s easy to use clichés because they just roll off the tongue. What’s wrong with tried–
and-true expressions such as it is what it is and at the end of the day? (L.O. 2)
14. Because business writing should have high “skim value,” why not write everything
in bulleted lists? (L.O. 3)
15. Conciseness is valued in business. However, can messages be too short? (L.O. 1)
Of course, messages can be too short. Although conciseness is valued, messages must be
Radical Rewrites
4.1 Radical Rewrite: Information E-Mail—Negative Announcement
Weaknesses
a. Does not provide a helpful subject line.
b. Starts indirectly with an explanation instead of the main idea: scheduling interviews.
4.1 Radical Rewrite: Information E-Mail—Negative Announcement
Revision
To: Management Staff
From: Nathan Weintraub <nweintraub@bien.com>
Subject: Invitation to Help Interview Possible Interns
Communication Workshop: Technology
Using Google Docs to Collaborate, Revise, and Edit
Team assignments that require using Google Docs and other collaboration tools offer many