Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 1
CHAPTER 3 LECTURE NOTES
ORGANZING AND DRAFTING BUSINESS MESSAGES
Chapter Synopsis
This chapter describes the second stage in the writing process that includes gathering
information, organizing it into outlines, and drafting messages. Students learn formal and
informal methods of researching data and generating ideas for messages. They are taught to
use outlining techniques and how to apply the direct and indirect strategies for organizing
business messages.
Learning Objectives
1. Apply Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process, which begins with formal and informal
research to collect background information.
2. Organize information into strategic relationships.
3. Compose the first draft of a message using a variety of sentence types while avoiding
sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and comma splices.
What’s New in This Chapter
The authors made the following changes and improvements:
• Provided expanded figure reviewing the 3-x-3 writing process to emphasize its importance
for novice business writers.
• Placed informal research methods before formal research methods to move from simple to
more complex.
• Presented four new Office Insider pithy and entertaining quotations to highlight authentic
remarks regarding skills necessary for today’s business communicators.
• Strengthened the readability of Good/Bad writing techniques by adding labels for quick
comprehension.
Lecture Notes
I. Drafting Workplace Messages (p. 63)
Figure 3.1 The 3-x-3 Writing Process
Definition: Researching is the process of collecting information about a certain topic.
A. Informal Research Methods
• Search your company’s files.
• Talk with the boss.
B. Formal Research Methods
• Access electronic sources (digital retrieval services).
• Search manually (public and college libraries).
II. Organizing Information to Show Relationships (p. 66)
• Scratch list: a quick casual list of topics to cover
• Outline: a hierarchy of ideas
Figure 3.2 Format of an Outline
A. Direct Strategy for Receptive Audiences (also called frontloading)
• Sequence: main idea first followed by details and explanations
• Advantages: saves the reader’s time, sets a proper frame of mind, reduces
frustration
Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 3
B. Indirect Strategy for Unreceptive Audiences
• Sequence: explanation precedes main idea
• Advantages: respects feelings of audience, encourages a fair hearing,
minimizes a negative reaction
Figure 3.3 Audience Response Determines Direct or Indirect Strategy
III. Composing the First Draft With Effective Sentences (p. 69)
A. Achieving Variety With Four Sentence Types
1. Simple sentence
2. Compound sentence
• Contains two complete but related thoughts that may be joined by a
3. Complex sentence
• Contains an independent clause (a complete thought) and a dependent
clause (a thought that cannot stand by itself)
4. Compound-complex sentences
• Contains at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause
• Should be used sparingly
Example: Because we are behind schedule, we have to work on Saturday;
however, we will not have to work on Monday.
B. Avoiding Three Common Sentence Faults
1. Sentence Fragments
• A fragment is a broken-off part of a sentence.
2. Run-On (Fused) Sentences
• Two independent clauses must be joined by a coordinating conjunction
3. Comma-Splice Sentences
• Two independent clauses joined with a comma
• Absence of coordinating conjunction (and, or, nor, but)
Example: Many were qualified, Jeff was hired.
C. Favoring Short Sentences
IV. Developing Business Writing Techniques (p. 71)
A. Developing Emphasis
• Mechanically
• Stylistically
B. Achieving Emphasis Through Mechanics
• Underlining
• Italics and bold
• Font changes
C. Achieving Emphasis Through Style
Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 5
D. De-emphasizing When Necessary
• Use general rather than specific words
E. Using Active and Passive Voice Effectively
Active voice: subject is the doer of the action
Example: Dr. Lorenzo recommended Irene for the job.
Passive voice: subject is acted upon
Example: Irene was recommended for the job by Dr. Lorenzo.
• Use active voice for most business writing.
Figure 3.4 Using Active and Passive Voice Effectively
F. Developing Parallelism
Definition: Parallelism is a skillful writing technique that involves balanced
writing. It uses similar structures to express similar ideas.
• Match nouns with nouns: honesty, dedication, perseverance
G. Escaping Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
• A modifier dangles when the word or phrase it describes is missing.
Example: By advertising extensively, all open jobs were filled quickly.
Revision: By advertising extensively, we were able to fill all open jobs quickly.
V. Drafting Well-Organized, Effective Paragraphs (p. 75)
A. Crafting Topic Sentences
• States main idea of the paragraph
• Helps readers understand the paragraph’s central thought
B. Developing Support Sentences
C. Building Paragraph Coherence
• Repeat key ideas or key words.
D. Controlling Paragraph Length
• Paragraphs with eight or fewer printed lines look inviting and readable.
• Long chunks of print appear formidable.
Figure 3.4 Transitional Expressions to Build Coherence
Supplementary Lecture
Overcoming Writer’s Block
Some of the greatest writers in literature—including Ernest Hemingway, Leo Tolstoy,
Virginia Woolf, Joseph Conrad, and Katherine Mansfield—agonized over temporary lapses in
their ability to produce text.
To facilitate their writing and overcome writer’s block, writers throughout the ages have used
an assortment of crutches and devices. Ernest Hemingway’s first rule for writers was to apply
the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Other writers used more elaborate motivators,
including regulating the time of output. The French philosopher Emile Zola pulled the shades
Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 7
Some writers have donned bizarre apparel. For stimulation, Honoré de Balzac wrote in a
monk’s costume and drank at least 20 cups of coffee a day, eventually dying of caffeine
poisoning. As his vision failed, James Joyce took to wearing a milkman’s uniform when he
wrote, believing that its whiteness caught the sunlight and reflected it onto his pages. Victor
Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block
• Experiment. Try to write in different places, at different times, and with different writing
instruments.
• Freewrite. Choose one sentence in a paragraph and write a paragraph about it. Then
choose one sentence from that paragraph and do it again.
• Cluster. Choose key words and ideas; then write associated ideas and words in clusters
around them. This process often forms new ideas.
Critical Thinking Discussion Guide
11. What trends in business and developments in technology are forcing workers to write
more than ever before? (Obj. 1)
Many businesses have downsized and have fewer levels of management, thus requiring
that all employees be able to make decisions and communicate them in meaningful
12. Molly, a twenty-three-year-old college graduate with a 3.5 GPA, was hired as an
administrative assistant. She was a fast learner on all the software, but her supervisor
had to help her with punctuation. On the ninth day of her job, she resigned, saying:
“I just don’t think this job is a good fit. Commas, semicolons, spelling, typos—those
kinds of things just aren’t all that important to me. They just don’t matter.” For
what kind of job is Molly qualified? (Objs. 1–5)
By refusing to develop fundamental language skills or to recognize their importance,
13. Why is audience analysis so important in the selection of the direct or indirect
organization strategy for a business message? (Obj. 2)
Audience analysis is important because it helps the writer decide whether the receiver will
react positively or negatively to the message. Help your students develop the habit of
14. How are speakers different from writers in the way they emphasize ideas? (Obj. 4)
Speakers have an array of nonverbal cues that they can use to express many more
emotions and nuances of meaning than are possible in writing. A speaker can raise an
Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 9
15. Now that you have studied the active and passive voice, what do you think when
someone in government or business says, “Mistakes were made”? Is it unethical to
use the passive voice to avoid specifics?
By using the passive voice in the familiar statement Mistakes were made, the speaker or
Activities
Note: The solution for Radical Rewrite 3.1 is located in the Solutions to Activities section of
the Instructor’s Manual.
Communication Workshop (p. 88)
Guidelines for Safe Social Networking
• Establish boundaries.
• Be cautious in clicking links.
• Remember that Big Data is watching you.
Career Application: Students should be able to generate from their own experience many tips
for using social media safely. By conducting online research, they will find additional wise
advice. If you need to prime the pump for your students, ask questions such as the following:
How easy is it for identity thieves to obtain personal information about you through social
media? What is phishing? Can you name phishing attempts that you have experienced and
resisted? Do you know anyone who has been scammed? Do you receive a lot of spam? What
does it mean to overshare? Students will find amazingly entertaining examples of oversharing
online.
Workplace in Focus
Page 65
The objective when brainstorming is to generate a high quantity of ideas. The purpose of the
“Yes, and?” method is to accept the ideas of others uncritically and then build upon them. In a
Page 68
A denial of claims, especially after a disaster, constitutes bad news in a highly sensitive
situation. As a result, claims rejections should be organized using the indirect pattern. By
Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 11
Chapter 3 Additional Writing Improvement Exercises
Sentence Type
For each of the numbered sentences, select the letter that identifies its type:
a Simple sentence c Complex sentence
b Compound sentence d Compound-complex sentence
1. Members of low-context cultures tend to value individualism. ____
2. When Americans travel abroad on business, their informality may be viewed
negatively. ____
Sentence Faults
In the following, identify the sentence fault (fragment, run-on, comma splice). Then revise to remedy
the fault.
6. Destination weddings at theme parks are popular. Which explains why they have become a major
income source for Disneyland.
7. A small wedding with four guests starts at $2,500, a larger celebration with 18 guests starts at
$12,000.
Emphasis
For each of the following sentences, circle (a) or (b). Be prepared to justify your choice.
11. Which is more emphatic?
a. Increased social media marketing would improve sales.
b. Adding $50,000 in social media marketing would double our sales.
12. Which is more emphatic?
a. They offer a lot of products.
b. Amazon offers thousands of computer, travel, and office accessories.
13. Which is more emphatic?
a. Employees in cubicles are interrupted 29 percent more often than those in private
offices.
b. Those workers are interrupted more than others.
15. Which sentence places more emphasis on the seminar?
a. An executive training seminar that starts June 1 will include four candidates.
b. Four candidates will be able to participate in an executive training seminar that we feel will
provide a valuable learning experience.
16. Which sentence places more emphasis on the date?
a. The deadline is April 1 for summer vacation reservations.
b. April 1 is the deadline for summer vacation reservations.
17. Which is less emphatic?
a. One division’s profits decreased last quarter.
b. Profits in consumer electronics dropped 15 percent last quarter.
Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 13
Active Voice
Business writing is more forceful if it uses active-voice verbs. Revise the following sentences so that
verbs are in the active voice. Put the emphasis on the doer of the action. Add subjects if necessary.
Example Antivirus software was installed on her computer.
Revision Madison installed antivirus software on her computer.
21. Open-plan offices were prescribed by designers to promote increased interactivity.
Passive Voice
When indirectness or tact is required, you may prefer passive-voice verbs. Revise the following
sentences so that they are in the passive voice.
Example Kevin did not submit the proposal before the deadline.
Revision The proposal was not submitted before the deadline.
25. Our CPA seems to have made a serious miscalculation in this report.
26. We cannot ship your order for smart surge protectors until May 5.
Parallelism
Revise the following sentences so that their parts are balanced.
30. (Hint: Match active voice of verbs.) To improve your listening skills, you should stop talking,
your surroundings should be controlled, be listening for main points, and an open mind must
be kept.
33. (Hint: Match adjectives.) Training seminars must be stimulating and a challenge.
34. Our new telecommunications software allows you to meet with customers over the Internet for
training, Web-based meetings can be held, and other online collaboration within virtual teams
is also facilitated.
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
Revise the following sentences to avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers. If a sentence starts with a
verbal phrase, keep it there.
38. Skilled at social networking, the marketing contract was won by ConstantContact.
39. Driving to work, the proposal deadline worried me intensely.
Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 15
40. Strolling along the strip, the exciting Mandalay Bay is just one of the fabulous hotels you see
in Las Vegas.
Organizing Paragraph Sentences
Study the following list of sentences from an interoffice memo to hospital staff.
1. The old incident report form caused numerous problems and confusion.
2. One problem was that employees often omitted important information.
3. The Hospital Safety Committee has revised the form used for incident reports.
45. Which sentence should be the topic sentence? _______
46. Which sentence(s) should be developed in a separate paragraph? _______
47. Which sentences should become support sentences? _______
Building Coherent Paragraphs
48. Improve the organization, coherence, and correctness of the following paragraph.
We feel that the “extreme” strategy has not been developed fully in the fast-food market.
49. Use the following facts to construct a coherent paragraph with a topic sentence and appropriate
transitional expressions in the supporting sentences.
• The federal government will penalize medical practices that don’t adopt electronic
medical records (EMRs).
50. Use the following facts to construct a coherent paragraph with a topic sentence and appropriate
transitional expressions in the supporting sentences.
• Nearly all teams experience conflict. They should recognize and expect it.
• The most effective teams strive to eliminate destructive conflict and develop constructive
conflict.
Key to Chapter 3 Additional Writing Improvement Exercises
Sentence Type
1. a 4. b
Sentence Faults
6. Fragment
Destination weddings at theme parks are popular, which explains why they have
become a major income source for Disneyland.
Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 17
Emphasis
11. b
12. b
Active Voice
21. Designers prescribed open-plan offices to promote increased interactivity.
Passive Voice
25. A serious miscalculation seems to have been made in this report.
26. Your order for smart surge protectors cannot be shipped until May 5. OR:
Parallelism
30. To improve your listening skills, you should stop talking, control your surroundings,
listen for main points, and keep an open mind.
31. Beverly Payne, director of the St. Joseph branch, will now supervise all Midwest
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
38. Skilled at social networking, ConstantContact won the marketing contract.
39. Driving to work, I was intensely worried by the proposal deadline.
Chapter 3 Lecture Notes ● 19
Organizing Paragraph Sentences
Building Coherent Paragraphs
Note: Many possible revisions may be appropriate for the following paragraphs.
48. Pizza Hut is considering launching a new product called The Extreme. It will be the
largest pizza on the market. With double the cheese and double the toppings, it will target the
49. For many reasons Valley Medical Center is considering beginning the process of
converting to electronic medical records (EMRs). If we do so, we can qualify for federal funds
50. Effective teams convert conflict into better decision making. They strive to eliminate
destructive conflict, which can arise when team members take criticism personally. Such