Unit 3

Composition

3.1.          Job Application and Curriculum Vitae Writing

Job Application

The application process for internships, internships, and graduate / professional programs usually requires a personal statement or application letter. This type of writing invites writers to present their skills with confidence and accuracy, which can be challenging.

Although the requirements are different in application and application, the purpose of this type of writing is to represent your goals, experiences and qualifications in the best possible light, and to demonstrate your writing ability. Your personal statement or request letter to present to your potential employer or program manager, so it's important that you take enough time to write a piece of creative writing.

Below is the job application letter writing procedure:

Prepareyour materials:

Before you sit down and write, prepare something to prevent frustration during the writing process itself. Obtain copies of documents such as transcript, resumes and original application form; keeping them in front of you will make your writing career a lot easier. Make a list of important information, with specific names and specific topics for employers and directors, job titles you have worked on, dates for relevant work or volunteer experiences, jobs involved etc. This way, you will be able to look at these materials while writing to include as much detail as possible.

Write a first draft:

After you've compiled and reviewed these materials, it's time to start writing. The following is a list of concerns that authors should keep in mind when writing a personal statement / request letter.

Below is an example of a job application letter which can be used as a template for your letters:

Curriculum Vitae (C.V) and Resume

Curriculum Vitae

If you’re pursuing opportunities in academia or looking for work outside India, it’s important to create a Curriculum Vitae (CV). This document will provide employers with a highly detailed account of your professional and educational history to decide whether to move you forward to the next step in the hiring process.

Curriculum vitae, an abbreviation for C.V, is a Latin term meaning “course of life”. It is a detailed professional document highlighting a person’s experience and accomplishments. Employers often require a CV when considering applications. Therefore, a C.V shares an overview of your career history, education, relevant awards and honours, scholarships, grants, research, projects and publications.

Curriculum vitae may also include professional references as well as coursework, fieldwork, hobbies and interests relevant to your profession. While curating a C.V, you might also choose to add a personal profile that lists your skills and positive attributes to ensure employers have a well-rounded view of your personality and achievements.

Contents of a C.V

While a CV should be specific to one background and tailored to the job for which one is applying, there are several steps you can take to ensure you write an effective CV. Most CVs include the following information:

• Contact information
• Academic history
• Professional experience
• Qualifications and skills
• Awards and honours
• Publications
• Professional associations
• Grants and fellowships
• Licenses and certificates
• Volunteer work
• Personal information (optional)
• Hobbies and interests (optional)

CV Template

Below is a basic template you can follow when formulating your CV:

[Your Name]

[Address, phone number, email address]

Professional summary

[Here, introduce yourself, highlight your best qualifications and explain why you’re a fit for the job]

Education

[Title of degree] [GPA] [Dates attended]

[School name]

[Title of dissertation or thesis]

Work experience

[Job title] [Dates of employment]

[Name of employer] [City and state of employer]

[description of your responsibilities and accomplishments]

Skills

[relevant skills]

Personal interests

[Short paragraph on your personal pursuits]

Community service

[Position held or job performed] [Dates of service]

[Organization] [City and state of organization]

[Accomplishment]

Publications

[Authors with your name in bold] [Year of publication] [Title of article] [Publishing journal]

Awards and honours

[Name of award] [year]

Writing a CV

Below are the seven basic steps for writing a CV:

1. Create a header with contact information

The header should be at the top of the page and must always include your name, phone number and email address so employers immediately know who you are and how to reach you.

2. Write a professional summary

Your professional summary must be a short bio that introduces you to the reader. This section should also sum up your highest qualifications and explains your ideal career path.

3. Detail your education

Since a CV is often used for the academic job search process, it’s important to include a section on your educational history. Provide a list of your academic achievements in reverse chronological order, with your most recent degree first. Include both degrees you’ve earned and those you’re pursuing.

4. Provide your work experience

In this section, provide details of all your practical workplace experience so your prospective employer can see your career path, including:

• Full-time and part-time employment
• Internships
• Research projects
• Lab work
• Volunteer work
• Field experience

Try to include the title of your position, the name and location of your employer and employment dates. After this, list two to three bullet points that explain your job duties.

5. List your relevant skills

If you possess any abilities that apply to the potential job, such as foreign languages or a type of software, list them here. Formulate a list of skills that relate to the job description to make yourself a more desirable candidate and include them here.

6. Include additional sections

CVs are typically longer than resumes so you can detail all the achievements relevant to the potential role. Add sections as needed to list all of your accomplishments, including:

• Publications
• Presentation and lectures
• Community service
• Grants, fellowships or scholarships
• Awards and honors
• Professional memberships
• Consulting work
• Fieldwork
• Study abroad experience
• Conferences

7. Describe your personal interests (optional)

You can choose to include a brief description of your hobbies and interests. Adding a few hobbies in this section may help you form a personal connection with the hiring manager.

Resume

A resume is a short document used to summarize the job search and qualifications of the prospective employer. The resume includes contact details for the job seeker, work experience, education, and the appropriate skills to support the job application.
 

Your renegotiation is a critical part of today's job application process. Writing a good resume is more important than ever now that online job posts tend to attract hundreds if not thousands of applicants. A refurbished, ready-to-start application will increase your chances of getting an interview while poorly written resumes maybe lost at sea of ​​applicants.
 

How to write the resume:

1. Select the resume format and the categories you need

2. Always include contact details, work experience, and education

3. Use traditional topics for high compliance

4. Apply practical skills directly to the job description

5. Replace basic tasks with impactful performance

6. Do not include an old goal statement or reference section

7. Preview and double-check what you wrote

8. Save as docx file (optional) or pdf.
If you think you are done, ask someone else to take care of you. Alternatively, take it to jobscan for a quick answer.

Contents of a Good Resume
At the very least, your start-up should include your contact details, work experience, and education. Additional job summary sections, skills, volunteer work, and additional qualifications can be added when related to the job you work for.
The work ethic here is "worth it." remember that your resume is intended to quickly highlight the reasons why you are well prepared for the job. It is not intended to explain all the tasks you have done. Instead of simply listing your daily obligations from past activities, read the job listing and try to find the answer to each of the requirements listed. This is likely to get the attention of an employer who can only look at your return for a few seconds. It also broadens your application tracking system to apply to algorithms that help companies identify top candidates.
Below you will find out which parts of the restart to include in your start-up and how to adapt to the job you are looking for.
 

Elements of a Resume

Contact information:
The title of your start-up should include the following information:

• Name
• Phone number
• Location (city, country, zip code)
• Email address
• Linked profile URL
  It may seem obvious, but job seekers sometimes forget an important piece of contact information in this section. Double check and make it as easy as possible for employers to contact you for job interviews.

Phone number:
Enter a personal phone number, not a work number. Enter your city, state, and zip code (e.g. “Seattle, WA 98104”). This is important as other applicant tracking systems allow employers to filter the candidates based on location. Employers will always start with local selectors first. If you are traveling from somewhere, write down your current location and your future location.

Email address:
Use a valid email address. An email address based around your name is correct, such as jackieromano12@email.com. Your "happy" email address may work well in your life, but the terms "beersnob88" or "biebersuperfan" may not be so clear. Even using a seemingly outdated email client - such as AOL or Hotmail - can harm your prospects. Consider creating a free Gmail account for your search.

Linked Profile url:
If the employer is surprised by your qualifications, they will look at your online profiles. All job seekers should create a strong LinkedIn profile and include a url in their resume. This will make the life of the employer a little easier and help them to cross-check the claims on your resume.

Work experience:
Part of the work experience is the heart of your resume. Separate this category from a clear, existing topic, such as "work experience," "work experience," or "employment history." this will help guide employers towards your resume and ensure that the applicant tracking system (ats) is well defined.

Under the main heading, list each activity in chronological order. Each function should have its own sub-heading that includes the following information:

• Company
• Workplace
• Your job title
• Start and end dates

For example:

• Abc corporation, settle
• Distribution manager (01/2017-present)
  The first things an employer looks for in your resume are the topics of the work you hold and the number of companies you've worked with. This format not only makes it easy for them to access that information, but our research has found that this sequence also provides greater ats compatibility.

Under each subheading, include responsibilities and measurable outputs that are relevant to the job you are working on. Remember, you don't have to include all the activities that were part of your daily routine. Use your available space to highlight the skills and knowledge requested in the job description. Jobscan helps you decide exactly what skills are requested and whether or not you have highlighted them.

Education:
When you have a few years into your career, your education level may also be reduced under your resume. Unless you're using a profession that places more emphasis on education (such as academics, law, or medicine), most job seekers can escape by simply providing the following information on their resume:

• Agency name

• Stem

• School location

• Years visited
If you have just graduated from college, your education level surpasses your professional experience and includes many details. Skills developed in school are real skills that are important in the professional world. Recent rooms can include appropriate coursework, communities, organizations, and extracurriculars that strengthen their identity.

Activities:
98% of fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems (ats) to filter, filter, and enter applicants. Other atss, such as taleo, can automatically add your own content to the job description, allowing employers to focus only on the best "applicants". Employers are also looking at their application site to find keywords, such as "customer service," "accounts available," or "adobe photoshop."

Overloading or coming up as a search result is about adding complex skills and keywords to your resume. A good way to identify key skills in a list and search algorithms is to identify which skills are most prominent in the job description. Aligning these skills to your resume, where applicable, increases your chances of being selected for an interview

Strong skills should apply to all your resume capabilities. Entering the skills category for your start-up is not a prerequisite, but it can help you have a natural place to list the essential skills in the job you work for. The dedicated skills section also makes your resume much easier for employers trying to quickly find out if you meet their needs.

If you are using the skills section, remember that the list of skills and keywords is not enough. Add context to these skills to your full potential so employers can believe. This includes factors such as projects you have used in skills, the number of years of experience in a given skill, or the level of your expertise.

Historical and free:
Some restart forms allow space for some optional components. Only use the category of awards or honours in your resume if it makes sense for the job you work for. Active reputations will improve your credibility while poor prizes simply distract you from your best titles. For example, decide to get a monthly career or get a great customer satisfaction rating for your department, but maybe not if you are a kart race expert in your free time.

Volunteer work and study:
The work you do as an active volunteer can add to your qualifications and skill set as all paid experience. Also, the word "works." highlight the volunteer work of your start-up that uses the skills that apply to the job you work for. Carefully list voluntary organizations or affiliated organizations, such as political or religious organizations.

What you can leave from your view:

• Statement of note:
  The statement of intent has been used as a standard for the restart and appears in other implementation templates. Traditionally, the purposeful statements were a brief introduction to the resume which explains why the submission is returned. For example, "purpose: to secure a position as a communications manager at a leading sales centre."

Including a purpose that you can restart these days can make you appear later. The job summary statement replaced the purpose of today's reboot. Any other information can serve as a cover letter.

While a statement of objectives describes your goals, a concise statement outlines how you can add value to the company.

• Examinations:
  It is not necessary to write your directions in your resume unless otherwise stated in the job description. In addition, it is assumed that you have references, so there is no need to include "references available on request" either. Use the space you save to add additional skills and achievements.
   
• Soft skills:
  When it comes to your resume, soft skills are not nearly as important as technical skills. That is because it is difficult to demonstrate within the context of a restart. For example, an employer will not take your name from you if you say "you work hard" or "you solve a problem." in fact, it looks like it's short.

Instead of simply writing soft skills, find opportunities to show off your interpersonal and behavioural skills. Achievements and measurable results are a great way to do this. For example, instead of saying "hard work," indicate in writing that you have completed x projects that are more than your department average.

• Gpa:
  Only list your GPA as part of your continuing education program if you have recently graduated from college and have a good GPA, similar to a 3.5 or better with a 4.0 rating. There are a few exceptions. Some industries, as professionals, are waiting to see your GPA.

Length of your resume:

While a one-page start-up is sometimes considered to be the best, a two-page resume may be required after five or ten years of staffing, especially if all of your experience is relevant to the job you are pursuing. Managers sometimes have three or more pages running.

That said, your resume should not be longer than it should. Short, step-by-step resumes will easily be digested and highlight your most important skills. After writing your resume, try removing the excess fluff and inappropriate content to reduce your page count and draw your attention to your best titles. No matter how many pages you start, try putting your most impressive titles at the top of the first page with a summary or category of skills.

There are several different ways to format your resume. Choosing the right format will make the writing process easier. When choosing a format, consider the function you are using for it. The chronological, compositional, and functional styles of each work serve a specific purpose.

3.2.          Business Letter Writing

Writing letters is an art and a strategy. The latter can be followed by following formal meetings; the former must be nurtured with the care and deepest interest of man. The letters are generally divided into the following four categories: friendly or informal letters, business letters; invitations and responses, as well as the use of functions.

Promotional Function: By promoting new products and providing better services to business organizations, improving and enhancing the quality of their products. Customers should be informed through these developments. Business organizations have to expand their market by tapping new areas. All-round expansion is possible only if the organization continues to be well-informed by letters to those people and letters promoting them.

Informational work: Business letters provide valuable data about previous policies, transactions and all other activities of the organization. Modern businesses cannot depend on memory like the old days. If they are available then the letters are ready reference. New policies can be developed by studying earlier. Not only is it necessary to maintain good correspondence, but it is also more necessary to make them available in the files.

Legal work: Business letters can provide evidence in legal disputes, if any, which is in a transaction. They are useful as legal documents in quotes and offers.

Goodwill work: Business letters promote goodwill among business parties that trade. They make a good rapport between the parties in business transactions.

Convey information: The fundamental reason for any business letter is to pass on information in regards to practice business exercises. Information can be transmitted through the business letter to clients, providers, indebted individuals, government experts, monetary organizations, bank, and insurance agencies and to any different gatherings related to the business.

Conclude exchange: One of the particular functions ofa business letter isto finish up an exchange.In finished exchanges business letter are as often as possible utilized.

Creation of markets: Business letter are particularly significant for creating interest for new products and services and market creation.

Creation of generosity: In this electronic period, messages can be sent inside a couple of moments through electronic media however a very much beautified business letter has its own significance in creating a positive picture of the company.

Essential Features of Business Letters

1. Content:

Nothing is more harmful to good communication than muddle-headedness resulting in not being able to make one's point. Before writing a letter, one should be sure of what one wants to say and accordingly one should be in command of all the necessary facts and information arranged logically and systematically.

2.     Clarity:
Knowing what one wants to say is not enough unless one says it in as clear a Language as possible. Here comes the importance of the right word and the right expression put in a sentence constructed neatly and with precision. It should, however, be remembered that right words and write expressions become relevant only when they occur in the right place. Thus, emotional and even flowery language may be apposite to a personal Letter but it will be completely out of place in a business letter.

3.     Brevity:
A few generations ago, when man enjoyed unlimited space and time, prolixity in language would not have been unwelcome, at Least in certain kinds of correspondence. In the modern age, however, addition of even one extra word cost time and energy most people will like to avoid. It is all the more the business correspondence. It means that all redundancy, be it a quotation illustration, an elaboration, in short, padding of any kind, must be avoided at all costs.

4.     Accuracy:
Avoidance of redundant helps achieve accuracy of statement. For much unwanted language in letters is the direct result of inaccurate and inconsistent thoughts and statements. A little care, particularly habitual revision of what one has written, will go a long way towards making writing accurate.

5.     Courtesy:
As remarked earlier, a letter reveals its writer's personality and character. Since there is always a 'you' in every letter, it is necessary that this 'you' or the addressee be shown all the courtesy and respect that language can express. Even when a complaint is lodged or a statement or application rejected, care should be taken that it is couched in polite and civilized language. It is worth remembering that while courtesy costs nothing, there is hardly anything more abrasive than impolite language.

6.     Visually-appealing:
Finally, a letter must be a visual attraction to the reader. It can displease either through wrong spelling and punctuation or bad writing and typing. These are not matters merely of form as even a well-thought out-letter, rich in ideas and having all the qualities of clarity, brevity, accuracy and courtesy may not only fail to make proper impact on the reader, but may even defeat its purpose by causing him unnecessary annoyance.

Parts of a business letter

It is convenient to divide all letters into 10 parts:

• Sender's address
• Date
• Direction (the address of the person(s) to whom you are writing)
• Salutation
• Reference (not always necessary in intimate, personal letters)
• Body
• Subscription
• Signature
• Postscript (to be as a rule avoided, unless absolutely necessary)
• The envelope.

As these are mostly (except for the body of the letter) matters of form, we will illustrate each one of them. Often there are alternative forms, but you must choose one of them and use it consistently.

• Sender's address:

(a)  Laxmi Niwas,
52 Mall Road,
Civil Lines,
Kanpur 208 016

(b)  D 64 Press Road,
Nauroji Nagar,
Mysore 570 006

(c)  Department of Linguistics,
University of Delhi,
Delhi 110 007.

• Date:

(a)  October 25, 1988

(b)  25th October, 1988

• Direction:

(a)  The Personnel Manager,
Life Insurance Corporation of India,
Bhubaneshwar, 751 006.

(b)  Messrs Atma Ram & Sons,
3B Asaf Ali Roa,
New Delhi 110 001 .

(c)  Professor N. G. Arunachalam,
Department of Civil Engineering,
University Engineering College,
Hyderabad 500 007.

(d) Ms. Kavita Swaroop,
4/D Indira Colony,
Jawahar Nagar,
Agra 282 005.

(Messrs is used for an unlimited company or partnership of traders) (The same address is to be repeated on the envelope.)

• Salutation:

(a)  Dear Sir/Madam,

(b)  Sir/Madam, (in strictly formal letters to and from government departments or officials)

(c)  Dear Sirs/Gentlemen, (in the case of unlimited company, firm or partnership of traders or from a clerk to the Board of Directors, when 'Gentlemen' is preferred)

(d) Dear Mr. Swaminathan,

(e)  Dear Swaminathan,

(f)    My dear Swaminathan/My dear Mr. Swaminathan, ('My dear' shows extra intimacy)

(g) My dear Ravi, (very intimate and friendly)

(a)  Reference:( in professional or business letters)

(b) Sale of Old Stock (between salutation and the body of the letter) (usually placed above the direction)   

(c)  Our ref...

(d)  Your ref...

• Body: (the main part of the Letter, the subject matter of which will differ in each case)

• Subscription:

(a)  Yours faithfully. (most common form in formal, official and business letters)

(b)  Yours truly. (somewhat warmer than the above)

(c)  Yours sincerely, (cordial and friendly)

(d)  Yours affectionately. Very sincerely yours, Yours ever, in very intimate personal letter

Layout of a Business Letter

1. Font and Margins

Before writing an official letter, it must be kept in mind that the letter should not only be simple to understand but easy to read as well. Set your margins to be one or one and a half inches per each side of the document, this will help your letter look professional. Using simple fonts like Verdana, Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman with a 12-point size will give your official letter a clean look as well.

2. Heading and Subject

Once your fonts are set, you can begin addressing your letter. First, write your name in the top left-hand corner of the page. Include your name, address and the current date. You can also include your phone number and email if you are requesting further contact.

While writing the recipient's address information, remember to put it directly beneath yours. Write their name, title of their organization if they are representing one, followed by the address. Review the name and address of your recipient more than once to ensure you've written the correct address and spelled their name right.

3. Salutation

You can now professionally greet your reader. A common salutation used in official letters is, "Dear Ms. Or Mr. Last name". If you know both their first name or last name, you can include that in the salutation. For example, you can write, "Dear Alex Smith". If you know their gender, you can write, "Dear Mr. Alex Smith" or "Dear Ms. Alex Smith". If you're unaware of the name of the recipient, you can write, "Dear Sir or Madam".

4. The Body

The body paragraphs are where you can capture your main points and professionally explain your concerns, opinions or other information to your recipient. This is the part where your introduction and the purpose of the letter comes in. You can use verbiage such as, "I am writing to you today because..."

Once you've explained what the recipient will read, you can expand further throughout the next paragraph. Include details that support your first statement. For example, if you were writing a recommendation letter, you could expand on the skills of the person your recommending by saying, "Avery's time-management and organizational skills have improved the efficiency of my business by 12% since the beginning of the quarter."

You can continue giving examples until you believe your point has been clearly understood by the reader. Keep your sentences short, simple and easy for the reader to understand.

5. Conclusion and Signature

After finishing the body of the letter, the conclusion should be written. This paragraph can be short and will finalize the document by repeating your main point, explaining any possible next steps or thanking the recipient for taking the time to read your letter.

After closing the letter, you can provide your closing signature at the end of the document. Examples of common letter signatures are:

     Sincerely

     Sincerely yours

     With appreciation

     Thank you

     Regards

     Yours truly

     Respectfully yours

Carefully select your closing signature as per the requirements and input name at the bottom of the letter.

6.Enclosures

Enclosures are additional materials added to your letter to support your document, similar to when you attach a file to an email. If you're attaching a document to complement your letter, you should mention it near the end of your letter. To inform the reader that an additional document is attached, you can include the word "enclosure" at the end of the letter after your name. You can also shorten the word by writing, "encl."

Write your name and address in the top left-hand corner of the envelope followed by the recipient's name and address in the middle. Now your letter is ready to be sent to the recipient.

Enquiry Letters

A Business Inquiry letter is a letter written for communication between two organizations or persons belonging to 2 different organizations inquiring regarding some business they're doing together or hoping to try to in future. It's a proper letter and hence one has got to be polite and humble. In some cases, the sender might not have ever met the receiver. One has got to be precise and to the purpose and not drag the letter.

A business letter is a letter where two concerned parties discuss business. Business inquiry letter are often of the many types. The letter of enquiry is often about certain products or services of the receiving company. It can ask the status of the ongoing work being done by the company receiving the letter.

A letter also is a proof for the business being done between 2 organizations and as a history for future references. This sort of letter is brief and to the purpose. Just in case the sender doesn’t have the expertise regarding the inquiry being made he/ she will also ask the receiver to help them.

What is Inquiry Letter -Letter of inquiry is one among the most important sorts of business letters. When a buyer wishes to urge some information about the quantity, price, availability etc. of products to be bought or about the terms of sale, payment etc he writes a letter of inquiry to the seller.

Inquiry Letter –

ACCORDING TO MORRIS PHILIP AND OTHERS, “THE LETTER THAT SEEKS INFORMATION CONCERNING THE GOODS AND SERVICES FROM A BUSINESS CONCERN IS TERMED AN INQUIRY LETTER.”

QUIBLE AND OTHERS SAID, “LETTER OF INQUIRY MAY BE A SORT OF BUSINESS MESSAGE THAT ASKS THE RECIPIENT FOR INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE.”

IN THE OPINION OF R. V. LESIKAR ET AL., “LETTERS THAT ASKS QUESTIONS OR INFORMATION ABOUT ANYTHING IS CALLED INQUIRY LETTER.” BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

ACCORDING TO GARTSIDE, “AN INQUIRY LETTER ASKS INFORMATION LIKE CATALOGUE, QUOTATION, SAMPLE AND PRICE OF A PRODUCT FORM A SELLER DURING A CONCISE AND CLEAR WAY.”

Objectives of Inquiry Letter in Business Communication

Every letter has some certain objectives or motives and inquiry letter isn't an exception. It's written on different occasions for various reason. Inquiry letter is written so as to hold out one among the subsequent objectives bellow-

     To get the price quotation of specific commodities

     To ask for catalogue

     To know payment terms

     To know the past records of job applicant

     To know the credit worthiness of a firm or an individual 

     To ask for folders

     To get recommendation from former employer

     To know the financial strength of a firm or an individual 

     To know the business reputation of a firm

     To know the transportation facility provided by the firm

     To obtain information about social status of an individual or a firm

     To evaluate the performance of an individual or a firm

     To find out about the quality of a product

     To know the availability of an item

     To make request for sample etc.

Types of Inquiries Letter in Business Communication

Inquiries could also be of various types supported the target, information sought and therefore the initiatives taken. There are generally four sorts of inquires letter-solicited inquiry, unsolicited inquiry, inquiry for a few favour and routine inquiry letter. These are discussed below-

• Solicited Inquiry: An inquiry made in response to the seller’s advertisement and publicity is named a solicited inquiry. Actually, it's a response by the customer to the advertisement or publicity of a seller.

• Unsolicited Inquiry: An inquiry made at the buyer’s own initiative is named unsolicited inquiry. This kind of inquiry is formed when a buyer wants to understand anything from the vendor.

• Inquiry for some Favour: An inquiry made not about goods but information like special price or favourable terms is named inquiry for a few favours.

• Routine Inquiry: An inquiry made by an old or regular buyer within the usual course of action is named routine inquiry. Most of the business inquires fall during this category.

So, we discover that there are differing types of inquiries, regardless of the type is that the bottom line of success of an inquiry depends upon how it's written.

Order Letters

An order letter is a type of business letter which is written for the purpose of placing orders for products and services. An order letter is written by the buyer when the seller has provided them with a quote and it is in accordance with their budget.

An order letter is important step towards initiating a business transaction. This letter demonstrates interest in the merchandise and the need to start a business deal. This letter also shows that a customer is satisfied with the details provided in the quote like prices, specifications and other details.

An order letter is also used to specify the timeline around which the ordered products are to be delivered. It also provides other relevant information on quantity, the things ordered, and the mode of payment.

An order letter must pen down the terms and conditions of the acquisition. These benefits both the involved parties. It generally contains details like product specifications, their quantities, a price that the parties have prescribed, the date of delivery, what to try to just in case there occurs a late delivery, etc.

Tips before Writing an Order Letter

Before writing the order letter, here are some tips for you:
1. The letter should be very precise, there's no exhortation or casual talking required here.

2. The language should be easy while also being formal.

3. don't make any mistakes within the specifications and quantities.

4. Avoid spelling and grammatical errors.

5. Stick with the subject

6. Be polite. you're ordering for goods; you are not ordering the person.

7. Avoid using too many adjectives.

8. Don't use jargons.

9. Don't hesitate to put the order, but do not forget to plan before writing.

Now I can tell you ways to write down an order letter, since you now know all that you simply needed to understand before writing one.

Elements of the Order Letter

An order letter needs the subsequent things to be in check:
 

     Contact information about yourself, the person/company which will supply to you and therefore the date.

     A subject line that helps the recipient to know your purpose directly.

     A salutation, like, if you recognize the name of the vendor, write, “Dear ……………”. If you do not know the name of your seller, simply write “Dear Seller”

     Information about your company; but this is often totally optional. However, this will ensure a long-term relationship. you'll also say a couple of words about your future plans associated with the sale.

     Order details, and by details, I mean everything. The model number, colour, size, number, etc. Be attentive since they'll send whatever you'll write. If possible, use bullet points or tables. If you're buying different items of various types, describe them in separate paragraphs.

     Mention your payment mode or if you've paid already, mention that next.

     Indicate your preferred delivery method and date.

     Include any special instructions as a neighbourhood of the terms and conditions agreed between the parties.

     Tell them that you're going to enjoy future cooperation with them and encourage them to contact if needed.

     Close with “Sincerely”, your signature and name.

The quality of the delivered goods will depend upon your instructions. Not just that, it's literally a legal instrument between yourself and therefore the seller. So, watch out for what goes in your order letter and pay an honest deal of attention while drafting one.

Template

Below is a template of how an order letter should be written. In this template, the buyer is placing an order after receiving a quotation from the seller and agreeing to it.

From,

_____________

_____________

Date (date on which letter is written)

To,

________________

Subject:_________________________________________

Dear _________________,

My name is ____________ and I am writing as ____________ on behalf of ____________. With regard to a request for a quote dated ____________, I wish to order ____________ fabrics that are ____________ in colour and ____________ design. This order is for a client who is preparing for a wedding on  ____________ and I wish to have the order urgently. The reference number of this order is ____________, please include it in all transactions for this order.

The first order will be for ____________ pieces so that we can examine the quality of the fabric and the design before making the second order. The second order will be for ____________ pieces upon approval of the first order. Kindly receive a check of ____________ for the first order. I would appreciate if you sent me a confirmation of receipt through my email ____________.

I hope to receive the shipment by latest ____________ in our office located on this address ____________.

Thank you in advance.

Your Truly,

__________

(__________________)

Credit Letters

When you hear the phrase 'letter of credit,' it'd be natural to think it refers to a document verifying that you simply are creditworthy, but that may not the case. A letter of credit may be a document issued by a 3rd party that guarantees payment for goods or services when the vendor provides acceptable documentation. Letters of credit are usually issued by banks or other financial institutions, but some creditworthy financial services companies, like insurance companies or mutual funds, might issue letters of credit under certain circumstances.

A letter of credit generally has three participants. First, there's the beneficiary, the person or company who are going to be paid. Next, there's the customer or applicant of the products or services. this is often the one who needs the letter of credit. Finally, there's the issuing bank, the institution issuing the letter of credit. additionally, the beneficiary may request payment to an advising bank, which may be a bank where the beneficiary may be a client, instead of on to the beneficiary. This could be done, for instance, if the advising bank financed the transaction for the beneficiary until payment was received.

Letters of credit are most frequently utilized in international trade, where they're governed by the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (or UCP), the principles of the International Chamber of Commerce. However, they will be utilized in other situations, as we shall see.

Types and Features of Letters of Credit

Most letters of credit are import/export letters of credit, which, because the name implies, are letters of credit that are utilized in international trade. an equivalent letter of credit would be termed an import letter of credit by the importer and an export letter of credit by the exporter. In most cases, the importer is that the buyer and therefore the exporter is that the beneficiary.

There also are other sorts of letters of credit. The revocable letter of credit is often changed at any time by either the customer or the issuing bank with no notification to the beneficiary. the foremost recent version of the UCP, UCP 600, did away with this type of letter of credit for any transaction under their jurisdiction. Conversely, the irrevocable letter of credit only allows change or cancellation of the letter of credit by the issuing bank after application by the customer and approval by the beneficiary. All letters of credit governed by the present UCP are irrevocable letters of credit.

A confirmed letter of credit is one where a second bank agrees to pay the letter of credit at the request of the issuing bank. While not usually required by law, an issuing bank could be required by writ to only issue confirmed letters of credit if they're in receivership. As you would possibly guess, an unconfirmed letter of credit is guaranteed only by the issuing bank. this is often the foremost common form with reference to confirmation.
 

A letter of credit can also be a transferrable letter of credit. These are commonly used when the beneficiary is just an intermediary for the important supplier of the products and services or is one among a gaggle of suppliers. It allows the named beneficiary to present its own documentation but transfer all or a part of the payment to the particular suppliers. As you would possibly guess, an un-transferrable letter of credit doesn't allow transfer of payments to 3rd parties.

A letter of credit can also be at sight, which is payable as soon because the documentation has been presented and verified, or payment could also be deferred. Deferred letters of credit also are called a usance letter of credit and should be postpone until a particular period of time has passed or the customer has had the chance to examine or maybe sell the related goods.

A red clause letter of credit allows the beneficiary to receive partial payment before shipping the products or performing the services. Originally, these terms were written in loss, hence the name. In practical use, issuing banks will rarely offer these terms unless the beneficiary is extremely creditworthy or an advising bank agrees to refund the cash if the shipment isn't made.

Finally, a back-to-back letter of credit is employed during a trade involving an intermediary, like a trading house. it's actually made from two letters of credit, one issued by the buyer's bank to the intermediary and therefore the other issued by the intermediary's bank to the vendor.

Documentation Requirement

In order to receive payment, the beneficiary must present documentation of completion of their part within the transaction to the issuing bank. The documents that the issuing bank will accept are laid out in the letter of credit, but may often include:

• Bills of exchange

• Invoices

• Government documents, like licenses, certificates of origin, inspection certificates, embassy legalizations, and phytosanitary certificates

• Shipping and transport documents, like bills of lading and airway bills
• Insurance policies or certificates, except cover notes

Status Enquiry Letters

The letter that's written for obtaining information about a commercial enterprise is termed as business status inquiry letter. Generally, one commercial enterprise writes this letter to another commercial enterprise for collecting information a few prospective customers.

When a firm wants to buy goods on credit, it gives one or more references to which the vendor can invite some information about the credit seekers. Usually, banks, trade associations or competing business firms are mentioned as references. The vendor then writes the inquiry letter to the referees requesting them to supply some information about the customer.

The purpose of scripting this letter is to get information related to:

• Financial capability or creditworthiness

• Goodwill

• Nature of business dealings

• Honesty

• Relationship with business association, etc

In light of the above discussion, we will conclude that when a commercial enterprise writes an inquiry letter to another commercial enterprise, financial organization or trade association to get information about creditworthiness or financial capability of a customer who has applied for credit purchase, it's called business status inquiry letter. Basing on the information supplied by the referees, the seller decides whether to establish business transactions with the firm.

Objectives or Importance of Status Inquiry Letters

Business status inquiry letter plays a crucial role in modern business. The subsequent are the main objectives of writing this letter:

• Obtaining information about the financial capability of prospective customers.

• Determining the risk of credit sales.

• Deciding whether to enter into credit transactions.

• Getting information about honesty, goodwill and business morality of the probable buyer.

• Knowing about the connection of the potential buyers with other business community and associations.

• Enhancing sales with various parties by evaluating their financial and business viability.

Status Inquiry letter sample

Claim Letters

A claim letter is essentially a complaint letter which a buyer writes to a seller to resolve grievances. Claim letters are formal business letters in which an individual or company demands the fulfilment of their claims.

In a claim letter the buyer asks for a refund or replacement for the faulty products or services provided by the seller. The seller then sends an adjustment letter where he tries to find a solution for the buyer’s problem.

These letters are written to the purchasers in order that they will observe profits. It is often written to the prevailing customers to tell changes in rates, supplies, and new offers, etc. It are often associated with introducing a replacement product of the corporate to follow up together with your existing customers or new customers to take care of an honest account.

Your product or service could be top of the road. Your customer service could also be the simplest in school. you're still getting to get complaints. Client complaints or claim letters are often an enormous asset for your business then show you ways to harness those assets. When customers complain, they're actively teaching you ways to enhance your product. this sort of warm, helpful letter to take care of the business scent during the amount you're gathering all the specified information for the prospect.

Claim Letter Writing Tips

     Write briefly about the offers and therefore the schemes; write what benefit the reader goes to urge from the schemes.

     Write the amount during which the offer is valid. this may help the customer to avail the offer.

     Use a positive tone. invite a positive reply. Use attractive language in order that it can grab the eye of the readers towards the offers and discounts.

     Write that the reader may be a very valued customer and hence you're scripting this letter.

     State the precise name of the person or company you're pertaining to.

     Be clear and concise about the knowledge you would like to supply
Propose how you'll improve the customer’s experience within the future.

     If there are any necessary forms, etc., that you simply got to fill out or send, include them together with your letter for faster approval.

Claim Letter Template

From,

_____________
_______________

Date: ______________ (date on which the letter is written)

To,

____________
_________

Subject: Claim letter

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I am ___________ (name) scripting this letter to you to declare the schemes and offers on behalf of our company that's ____________ (name of the company). On this Diwali, we've declared festive season offers. We are delighted to satisfy your needs and consider it a compliment whenever you place an order.

In appreciation for your business, we've included a coupon for 10 percent off any service for each product in your fleet. If you place an order between 01.11.2013 to 15.11.2013 then you'll avail these offers.

We will also sell regular products prices during this period. So, if you would like to realize huge profits, then you'll place big orders during this period. you'll also buy larger quantities. These offers are for all our important customers, and you're one among them.

We encourage you to contact us regarding this special offer and to think about us your one-stop service center. At eBay, we are committed to providing superior care. Again, it's a privilege of servicing you. Hence, you're requested to be benefited by these offers.


Hope to listen to soon from you.

Thanking You.

Yours Sincerely,

____________

Complaint Letters

Letters which are written by the purchasers to the sellers about their inconveniences created by some unexpected situations are referred to as complaint letters. However efficient a corporation could also be in running a business, everything doesn't go all the time consistent with plan. there'll be some mistake and a few accidents. Important service are sometimes rendered unsatisfactorily; goods are consigned to wrong destinations, sometimes too late, sometimes in but the specified quantities, sometimes in damaged condition.

Complaint letter is

     Letter written to bring these mistakes to the notice of these who must own the responsibilities for them are called claim or complaint letters. So, when a letter is written to the vendor by the customer raising complaints or claims regarding mistakes taken place during the order to payment period is named a claim or complaint letter.

     Business complaint letter is written by customers who aren't satisfied by the amount of consumer services provided. If you are feeling that your supplier is dishonest about the products they deliver to you, whether in terms of content or pricing, you'll write them a customer complaint letter to precise your grievances. 

Adjustment Letters

Adjustment Letter is response letter to customer complaint or claim. it's official in nature and explains the relevancy of the complaint or claim and the way it is often resolved.

A letter of adjustment doesn’t mean that your complaint or claim are going to be accepted. It notifies the sender that their claim or complaint letter has been received. It depends upon the validity of your claim that a letter of adjustment will contain conformity of its mistake and its rectification. Adjustment letters are meant to resolve a conflict that's why they're referred to as such. Letters of adjustment also are referred as Claim Adjustment Letters, Complaint Response Letters, Customer Complaint Reply, Letter of Complaint Response, Letter of response to Complaint and similar other terms. A letter of adjustment deals with all kinds of claims and complaints; defective product, poor service, goods not delivered, shipment arriving late, salary not received et al.

An adjustment letter is a response to a buyer’s complaint or claim letter. Th main objective of writing an adjustment letter is to rectify the problem and provide the buyer with an appropriate solution.

Steps on How to Write an Adjustment Letter

1. Write the salutation.

Always address the letter to a particular person. Usually, people that send a complaint letter leave their name and address. Make sure that you spell the name correctly. For example, “Dear Mr. Jones” or “Dear Michael Robertson.”

2. Write the introduction.

Start the first sentence with a positive note. Write that you are pleased to hear from the client or express regret over the troublesome situation, or both. Address the date of the customer’s complaint letter and tell why you are writing. Don’t repeat the content of the complaint in detail.

Try to avoid such words as “complaint” or “claim.” These words may sound accusatory for the client. It will be better to say something like “Your report/message/notice from 2nd November has been received.”

3. Write the main part of the letter.

This section will consist of several parts. First, you need to restate the essence of the problem, so the reader will clearly understand that you have understood their problem well. Then you need to explain why the situation has occurred. Avoid long explanations, and be specific and brief. Clients don’t care about the company’s difficulties and simply want the situation to be fixed.

Second, present the solution to the problem. If the client is right, admit the mistake and provide a compensation or guarantee that the error will be resolved. Provide a list of steps that you are going to take (or have already taken). In some cases, when the claim is unwarranted, the company needs to write a careful and tactful denial to maintain good relations with the customer. Always try to persuade the client that you always have their needs in mind.

4. Write a conclusion.

End the letter with kind words. Thank for the client’s patience and offer further cooperation. Assure the client that such situations are rare and the company will do all possible to prevent this in the future. Express hope that the client will continue to enjoy products or services of the company. Don’t restate the essence of the problem at the end of the letter, as it will leave a feeling of incompleteness rather than your goodwill.

Add a hot-line phone number and website at the end of your letter, so the client can contact your company if needed.

5. Proofread and send the letter.

Make sure that your text is free of mistakes and has a logical structure. When you are pleased with the result, send the letter to the client.

Tips on How to Write an Adjustment Letter

• Don’t forget to fill in the subject field if you are sending an email.
• Write the adjustment letter in the shortest time possible. The company improves its own reputation by responding quickly to all complaints.
• Focus more on the solution rather than on the details of the problem.
• Always write in a positive tone. You need to calm down the customer and cheer them up.
• Focus on the relevant and specific facts rather than emotions.
• Don’t use abusive language or a negative tone. Even if the customer is aggressive or rude, you need to keep a friendly attitude and understanding of the problem.
• Never promise the client to do what is impossible or something that violates the company’s policy.
• Don’t show your surprise about the problem, unless it is a truly unique case for your company.
• Don’t try to make excuses – provide only factual information in the explanation.
• Show that your company takes it seriously.
• If the client experiences a great inconvenience, be generous. For example, you can provide a discount for the next order or a gift if appropriate.
• Remember the classical rule: “The customer is always right.” Even if the customer is wrong, make sure the customer is satisfied with your response.

Collection Letters

Letters written for realizing payments from the debtors are referred to as collection letters. the necessity for writing collection letters arises from credit sales. Selling on credit may be a traditional business policy that enhances volume of sales. Under the credit sales policy, the sellers allow the purchasers a particular period for payment of dues. However, sometimes the buyers make unexpected delay in paying their dues. Even, some custom stances, the sellers write letters reminding and requesting the purchasers to pay the due bills. rather than sending one letter or repeated copies of an equivalent letter, credit departments send a series of letters.

In the opinion of Kitty O. Locker, “Collection letters ask customers to buy the products and services they need already received.”

Quibble et al. defined, “Collection letters are employed by a corporation to entice its charge customers to pay an impressive charge-account balance.”

Collection letters are written during a series. When collection letters are written during a series beginning with an easy reminder and end with a warning letter indication action the dues promptly by retaining the purchasers with the corporate.

Circular Letters

Circular letter is one of the oldest kind of letters. This type of letter originated in ancient time when people felt the need of circulating any message to a large number of individuals at a time in the same way.

Generally, the letter that's won’t to circulate any special message to a large member of audiences at the same time is known as circular letter. It's one of the cost-effective means of circulating information or introducing new products to mass people. However, circular letters aren't only used in business, but also in social, political and personal affairs.

Prof. W. J. Weston said, “A circular letter is one which is meant to be read by variety of correspondents. It's of the nature of an advertisement and is typically a business announcement or an effort to advance business.”

From the above discussion we can say that circular letter may be a quite written announcement that's distributed to a large number of people to convey any commercial or non-commercial message at minimum time, costs and efforts. Drafting circular letter is only an art. It should be drafted in such how that can attract readers’ attention and may serve its purpose.

Importance or advantages of circular letter

Circular letter circulates information relating to a company, its products and services etc. to a large number of individuals at a time. It plays a crucial role within the growth and development of business. Its importance is briefly discussed below:

1. Easy method of conveying information: Circular letter is that the most easy, simple and effective thanks to convey any information to a large number of individuals.

2. Achieving economy: Circular letter are often used for wide publicity of products. As a result, organizations can save cost of sending letters to different parties separately and may gain economy.

3. Saving time: Circular letter transmits information to a large number of individuals at a time. It doesn't require reaching each individual separately. Thus, it saves time.

4. Less effort: Circulating information to every individual separately is a time consuming and laborious job. Circular letter helps to overcome this problem. Through circular letter, we will communicate with large number of individuals at a minimum effort.

5. Creating market: Through circular letter, a company can inform potential customers about its products and services. During this way, new markets are often created.

6. Increasing consumer’s confidence: Convincing and attractive circular letter can easily touch the reader’s heart and thus helps to boost consumer’s confidence on the company’s products.

7. Creating public consciousness: In circular letter, information like price, quality, utility, place of availability, etc. are mentioned in detail that creates people more conscious about the product.

Letters of Quotation

A quotation is an offer from the seller to sell products or services at a certain price. A quotation is not a legally binding contract but only an offer. In businesses such offers are often made through letters. These letters are known as quotation letters or voluntary offers.

Quotation letters are written in formal style and follow the same format as other business letters with a change in the main content of the letter.

Format of a quotation letter

Your name, address, city, zip code, phone number and email address should be included in the contact information. Following the contact info is the date. After writing these, you have to write the contact information of the person or organization you are writing to, the salutation, The introduction as to why you are writing the letter, the body comprising of various specifications regarding the products or services along with the price list, a few concluding statements and your signature (handwritten signature if the letter is mailed).

These are the basic steps of writing a business quotation letter. To summarize, a business quotation letter should consist of short and to the point sentence, the focus should always be on the numbers, it should attract the attention of the reader, it should be respectful and should not contain errors.

Sample

Below is a sample letter of quotation which will help you understand the basic template of a quotation letter

3.3.          Paragraph Writing

Business documents - such as letters, emails, reminders and reports - use categories to distinguish different types of information, ideas, and ideas. The sections written in the business format are organized in an orderly, professional and well-organized manner. When writing a business document, we have to look at how the paragraph will appear on the page, the organization of the section and its placement throughout the article. We have to agree on the way our categories are organized. We should use short language and simple style to keep the reader focused on our message.

Construction of a Paragraph

Block Status:

The general visual format of the sections in the business document is the block format where the section start is missing. Instead, the entire section is separated on its own and left with a reason, which means it corresponds to the left edge of the paper. A blank line is inserted at the back of each section to distinguish it from the next section or item of a document. Semi-block, where each article's beginning is inserted, is rarely used.

Font:

The sections in the business document are typed in traditional font such as 12-point Times New Roman. Avoid using strange fonts that deviate from your text. Use the same font for the rest of the document, except for titles, which can use either a larger font size or a stronger typeface.

Paragraph content:

Each section has to deal with one main idea. Introduce the main idea to a common statement in the first paragraph of a paragraph. Follow this topic sentence with a few sentences that support the main idea. This may contain informative information or debate to defend your view. Wrap up the paragraph with a summary sentence. If the class is running too long, you risk losing the student's attention. Instead, arrange the long section into two or more sections.

Paragraph Order:

A business document, such as a report or letter, begins with a paragraph that informs the title of the book. This is followed by one or more sections that develop the lesson. The concluding paragraph summarizes the information you provided or asked the student to take some action. For example, a letter outlining the reasons for an ad campaign may begin with an introductory paragraph introducing the campaign, followed by three sections each explaining the unique purpose of the campaign and a concluding paragraph asking the reader to approve the campaign. If the document is long, use headers to separate large sections.

Style:

While the tone can be friendly, business texts are written in formal style. Your writing may be read by third parties and kept by the company for many years, so avoid personal comments. Keep your writing up to date using gender-neutral language, as well as grammar and spelling. Keep your sentences short and to the point. Avoid clichés, contraction and slang.

Techniques of Writing a Paragraph

Below are the Techniques of writing a good paragraph:

1. Before you begin to figure out what the composition of a particular role is going to be, you have to look at what the most important concept you are trying to convey to your student. This is a "controlling concept," or thesis statement in which you name the remainder of the paragraph. In other words, your paragraphs should remind your reader that there is a general relationship between your control concept and the information at each stage. The research problem serves as the seed from which your paper, and your ideas, will grow. The whole process of stage development is a work-in-progress progression from seed theory to full-scale research where there is a direct, family-friendly relationship on paper between all of your control ideas and the stages they come from.

• Unified - All sentences in one paragraph should be accompanied by a single control point [usually expressed in paragraph heading].

• Obviouslyrelated to the research problem — All sentences should refer to the central idea, or thesis, of the paper.

• Coherent - Sentences should be organized correctly and should follow a detailed development plan.

• Well-Developed - All the ideas discussed in the section should be adequately explained and supported by evidence and data that work together to explain the concept that governs the section.

There are many different ways you can organize a category. However, the organization you choose will depend on the regulatory vision of the sector. Methods of classification in academic writing include:

• Narrative: Tell a story. Go in chronological order, from beginning to end.

• Descriptive: Provide specific information about how something looks or feels. Sort by location, chronological, or topic.

• Procedure: Explain step by step how the object works. Maybe you are following in order - first, second, and third.

• Classification: Divide into groups or describe different parts of a topic.

4.     Devote one paragraph to one idea

One paragraph should develop one idea. This will help you see two important issues you will have to correct:

(1) The ideas in the paragraph which do not relate to the main idea – this means their position should be changed; and

(2) you have several sentences with the same main idea – this means you have to remove repetitive content.

5.     Use of Active Voice

It is advisable to change all of the passive sentences into active voice (the exclusions may be the methodology section in scientific papers). Active voice improves clarity of sentences and makes the paper more engaging.Scientists and engineers might use passive voice to avoid the use of personal pronouns. However, all scientific and engineering journals now encourage authors to use I and We. You should also use personal pronouns – they do not make the writing biased; on the contrary, they make authors assume responsibility for their inferences and decisions.

However, students should try avoiding personal pronouns, but this does not mean you should use passive voice. When you look critically at your writing, you will see that in many cases the passive tone is not necessary and you can simply reverse it to active with no loss in meaning.

6.     Use semicolons, colons, dashes and parentheses to effectively combine and separate ideas

Proper use of punctuation will provide more clarity to your ideas and will help you organize them better.

Semicolons can solve the issue of two short sentences following each other. They also help to separate an idea from the previous one while holding some form of connection. For example: “A short sentence may emphasize and make a reader pause; several short sentences in a row break this connection.” Colons help to cut clutter when enumerating. Dashes and parentheses can both be used to put a clause aside and ease reading. However, use them carefully, as dashes emphasize what they separate, while parentheses – deemphasize it (actually, what is found in the parenthesis can be simply skipped by a reader).  

Features of a Paragraph - Unity, Coherence and Emphasis

Paragraph Unity means that the sentences in a paragraph should be united as a whole. It means that all the sentence a paragraph should be directly supportive of the topic sentence.

They unity of a paragraph can only be said to be established when all the sentences in that paragraph connect to the main idea. Many times while writing, the topic may be ambiguous, insufficient materials or resources may be available, or the purpose might be indefinite, which can lead to a diversified paragraph lacking unity.

Unity in a paragraph always starts with the topic sentence. Every paragraph must contain one single, controlling idea which must be expressed in its topic sentence, which is usually the first sentence of the paragraph. A paragraph must be then written in such a way that it is unified around this main idea, with the supporting sentences providing detail and discussion. In order to write a good topic sentence, think about your main theme and all the points you want to make in your paragraph. Decide which are the driving points, and then write the main one as your topic sentence.

Paragraph Coherence means that each and every sentence in a paragraph are linked together in a continuous line of thought and are organised in such a way so as to form a unity of idea. The sentences in a paragraph must always connect to each other and should work together as a whole with no gaps in the logical process.

Using transition words is one of the best methods of achieving coherence. These words act as bridges that connect sentences. Transition words that show order (first, second, third); spatial relationships (above, below) or logic (furthermore, in addition, in fact) are very useful for connecting sentences. Also, in writing a paragraph, using only one tense throughout and using only one perspective for descriptions are important ingredients for coherency.

There are some techniques which may be helpful with forming coherence in the paragraph:

• First is to think of a very clear topic sentence, the topic sentence must contain the central idea of the paragraph.
• Second is to use question and answer pattern in writing down the topic sentence. The question and answer pattern may be in the form of problem-solution or in general to particular to general format.
• Third is by positioning the topic sentence in the paragraph. Topic sentence is usually placed as the first sentence of the paragraph or sometimes it might serve as a transitional information before the paragraph. It may also be possible to put the topic sentence in the last sentence of the paragraph if it is not explicitly stated but is being implied.
• Another technique is to structure the paragraph using an ordering pattern such as the question-answer pattern, the problem-solution pattern and the topic-illustration pattern.

The third most important requirement of a well ­constructed paragraph is Emphasis. Emphasis in literal terms means “force” or “stress.” You may have a fairly well structured, coherent and unifiedparagraph but it might be lacking emphasis which is a common mistake among writers. Emphasis means that the main idea of the paragraph must be stressed in every sentence. A paragraph must not seem like a mass of useless details and unnecessary explanations. By keeping the same subject in every sentence, you can be sure that you are emphasising the main idea, whenever this is possible. In this way you are likely to improve the unity because it will not be so easy to go off the track. You are much less likely to introduce unrelated ideas if you are not changing subjects.

There are some techniques which might be useful in emphasising the paragraphs main idea:

You can establish emphasis by position, by repetition by climactic order.

• In establishing emphasis by position, it should be considered that the most significant ideas should be put in the introduction, in the conclusion, or in both parts within the paragraph. The paragraph should be filled with relevant statements not excluding minor details depending upon the need. Ending the paragraph by a summary of recapitulation is also beneficial.
• In establishing emphasis by repetition, the central idea can be repeated by using different words which will stress its importance. This strategy usually impresses the readers most emphatically with what the writer is trying to explain.
• In establishing emphasis by climactic order, the details in the paragraph must be arranged gradually beginning with the simple or least significant and ending with the most complex or most significant.

3.4.          Report Writing

The success of a business or industrial organization lies in doing its job for this purpose, gathering information and passing it on to those who need it is important. In the broader collection and transfer of information is happening all the time in every area of ​​formal life. So scientists, working brokers, testers, journalists, and various professionals, government and private organizations are asked to write and report to their management on important topics at the institution or the person involved.

Reports can be as short as a few sentences and as long as a few large pages. Although reports can be verbal and informal, here we are concerned with written and formal reports.

Characteristics of a Report

• Requirement:
  When organizing and preparing your reports you need to know who your audience is and whether or not your content meets their interests and needs.

• Accessibility:
  Legitimacy has to do with how easy or readable it is. As most reports in normal cases type, all meetings with good typing should be followed. If there are handwritten reports, special attention should be given to writing clearly and clearly. Any departure from the above requirement will prove displeasing to your audience.

• Clarity and Readability:
  Clarity, durability and systematic presentation of readable content. The concept is summarized better than the following:
  The author does a lot by giving his reader a lot of information and taking away from him a little time.
  In this regard the following five goals are met:

• Conciseness:
  Just like unwanted fat in the body, padding, prolixity and repetition violates the respect of good writing, not to mention the respect they wrote for you. So 'agree' and 'prefer' will be more acceptable than pompous 'agree with' and 'prefer'. As such, why use 'at that point in time' and at a time when we have the best and most economical holdings at that time 'and' when '. Viewed from the point of view of the report, or requested for the report, a good report will contain four important details, an analysis of the information, conclusions and recommendations. It should always be remembered that effective reporting requires special attention to the needs and expectations of the reader. It means that the author of the report has to 'snap a picture', he must think and understand himself.

Components of a Formal Report

A formal report is comprised of the following sections:

1. Title Page

The title page includes the main title of the report, it must be short and concise. You can also include the word counts of your summary and main body.

B.     Table of Contents

Help your reader quickly and easily find what they are looking for by using informative headings and careful numbering of your sections and sub-sections.

For example:

C.    Introduction

The introductory part of the report comprises of statement of the objectives of the report and how the report should be treated by the readers. It should indicate towards the problem that is going to be addressed in the main body. It should be catchy and interesting to grasp the attention of the reader from the very start.

D.    The Body

The main body consists of the central theme or the main idea of the report. It can be divided into a number of sections and subsections to separate your research and subsequent findings in a logical order.

E.     Figures, Graphs, Formulae and Tables

This section consists of the statistical representation of the data you have collected. Ideas should be conveyed in the form which is most suitable to the reader and easily understandable by the reader. Excessive use of these tools should be avoided.

F.     Conclusion

The conclusion is a kind of summing up of all the points you have stated in the main text. It should be a definite solution to the problem introduced during the introductory part of the report. The conclusion must be short and to the point.

G.   Summary

Summarize all the key points stated in the report including your research, your findings and your conclusion. The summary should feel like a brief overview of your investigations and outcomes. The summary should be constructed in such a way that it can be called a stand-alone document on its own.

H.    References

References must include detailed information of all your citations and the sources of material quoted in your texts. It can also include bibliography for further reading.

I.       Appendices

This is the last element of a report. It refers to any material which can be useful in the detailed understanding of your subject. It is not meant for the casual reader but for readers who are highly interested in the subject.

Complaint Report

Many companies encourage the use of complaint reports as the proper method of formally stating a trouble. These reports are usually used to address unsatisfactory transactions or conditions concerning a company. Writing a complaint report properly is key to getting your concern heard and the problem remedied.

A complaint report consists of the following elements:

The Heading

The heading part follows the format given below:

TO:              (The individual or company to whom the complaint is addressed)

FROM:           (The individual registering the complaint)

DATE:             (Current Date)

SUBJECT:           (The main purpose summed up in one sentence)

The Body

The body must contain an introduction where you should write the purpose of your report and what is the primary concern of the report. It should then include the main subject, in this case the complaint. The issue at hand should be properly discussed and you should try to provide reasonable solutions to the problem. The tone should not be aggressive at it would make it more difficult to find a suitable resolution to your grievances. The concluding sentence should sum up the report in 2-3 sentences, try to reiterate the key points you have mentioned earlier and try to suggest a few measures that would help in solving your issue.

Laboratory Report

A laboratory report is a formal, analytical and concise record of an experiment. The discussion of the experiment, the various procedures and the subsequent results obtained should be clear and specific enough that a reader could easily replicate the experiment. One of the main purposes of writing a laboratory report is to communicate the work done in the laboratory to the management on a regular basis. Another reason for writing a laboratory report is to record an experiment for the future and archive it.

Format

Although most laboratory reports will include the following sections, some experiments will require a

Different format. All reports should be tailored so as to meet the requirements laid down by the experiment.

Abstract: The abstract should contain a brief informational synopsis of your experiment. It is advisable to keep the abstract under 200 words. While writing the abstract, assertive or declarative sentences should be used rather than writing a long descriptive prose.

Introduction: Here the background of the experiment which is to be undertaken is explained in a few lines. The introduction should explain the objectives you hope to achieve from the experiment. When appropriate, the backgroundshould indicate theoretical predictions.

Procedures (or Methods): This section includes a detailed set of instructions of how the experiment is ought to be conducted. Each instruction should be so precise that the reader should be able to replicate it if he so desired. There should be no ambiguity and error when it comes to numbers and quantities. All statistical information should be well organised.

Results and Discussion (sometimes presented as separate sections): This section must convey results relevant to thegoals of the experiment. Here the analysis of the results obtained from the experiment must be carried out along with its implications. All possible sources of error should be acknowledged with potential solutions if any. Results can also be presented in the form of graphs and tables if the experiment needs it.

Conclusions: Here you should place the specific results acquired into the context of the experiment as a whole. The discussion section should serve as sufficient conclusion if the experiment and report is short.Remember to evaluate the results you obtained in light of the objectives stated in the introduction.

Appendices: This section must include the information which is too extensive or tangential to warrant inclusion in themain body of the report, but necessary as procedural or analytical evidence.

Progress Report

A progress report is a type of report which is written in order to inform a supervisor, associate, or customer about progress you’ve made on a project over a certain period of time.

A progress report must answer the following questions:

• What percentage of the work is complete?
• Which part of the work is currently being performed?
• Which sections of the work are yet to be completed?
• What unexpected problems have arisen in the project?
• What is the overall status of the project?
• How much more time will be required to complete the work?

A progress report can be structured in three different ways:

a)     Memo – An informal memo report to be sent to someone within the organization.

b)    Letter – An informal or formal letter to be sent to someone outside of the organization.

c)     Formal Report – A formal report to be sent to someone outside the organization

You should choose the type of progress report depending upon your requirements.

A progress report has no specific structure but should always include the following elements:

• The title and the words “Progress Report” on top of the document
• Section headings to simplify the reading process.
• The name of the writer along with their designation and the receiver’s name and designation.
• The opening should be titled “scope and purpose” where the introduction defines the purpose of the report.
• Two sections titled “Progress….” And “Remaining work” should always be included. The former defining how much work has been successfully completed and the latter describing what part of it is yet to be done.
• A section projecting results and the tentative timeline of completion should also be included.
• The paragraphs should be short and concise and the tone respectful.

Status Report

A status report is a type of progress report which keeps the clients, project managers, supervisors and team members up to date regarding a certain project.

It comprises of the efforts, progress and risk associated with a project. A project status report can be a weekly, monthly or quarterly formulated report.

A project status report may be used to:

• Streamline communication efforts across the organization and stakeholders
• Make it easier to gather and disseminate information about key elements of the project
• Ensure stakeholders have all necessary information for decision-making
• Amplify key messages and goals around the project
• Act as a logbook for past key events and actions

What is included in a status report:

• Summary of Work Completed
• A Plan for What Comes Next
• Updates on Budget and Timeline
• Any Action Items/To-Dos
• Report on Risks, Issues, and Mitigation

Below is the format of a status report:

1. Project Name / Client Name

This section should contain the title of the project along with the name of the client. Make sure you record WHO the report is for and WHAT the report entails (ie. What project).

2. Project Vision

Here the main objectives of the project are to be listed in a clear and to the point manner. This is the only static unchanging section of a status report.

Examples:

Drive qualified customers to “purchase” mobile devices based on an improved UI.

With this project, we hope to increase online sales through the implementation of a drip email marketing campaign.

Launch a website by June 2018 that allows customers to purchase the highest quality & best-tasting product in its category.

3. Project Health

Here the health status of the project can be highlighted. The use of colours could be very helpful for notifying the health status for example, green for successful, yellow for a few complications and red for issues requiring immediate and critical attention. A note to support is always helpful.

Examples:

Green: We’ve obtained approval on drip email designs. No budget concerns at this time.

Yellow: The drip email designs need significant revisions; therefore, the final delivery date has been delayed by 1 week.

Red: The drip email campaign has drastically shifted direction since starting. We need to set-up a meeting to establish a wants/wishes for the project.

4. What We Completed This TIMEFRAME

These should be listed in bullet format. Keep these short & simple. Don’t explain the “how” just what.

Example:

Obtained approval for 3 drip email designs

5. What We Plan to Complete Next TIMEFRAME

This section should include what is planned in clear and precise bullet points.

Example:

Develop the three emails

Perform internal QA & testing

Pass off to client QA & testing

6. Issues/Roadblocks

This is where you can raise any red flags or obstacles keeping you from moving forward.

Example:

If we do not obtain client feedback by 06/02, we will be in jeopardy of not being able to send the email to consumers the same day as the product will be available in stores.

7. Upcoming Tasks & Milestones

This should include a set of goals to be achieved in the near future. Is there anything that the viewer should review? and what’s coming up next?

Examples:

Dd/mm: Client QA & Testing

Dd/mm: Email Deployment

Memo Report

A memo report or memorandum is an internal and informal form of communication which is written to inform and to call to action. It is normally used for communicating policies, procedures or other information within the organisation.

Unlike Interpersonal communication a memo report is presented to a large number of people. A memo has to be concise and concrete in terms of providing information.

One of the instances where you could be asked to write a memo report is in a lab. Here the audience for your memo report is your professor who has asked you to conduct an experiment and supply him with appropriate results.

All memo reports consist of two parts: the heading and the body

The Heading

The heading part follows the format given below:

TO:              (The name of the receiver and their designation)

FROM:           (Your name and designation or title)

DATE:             (Current Date)

SUBJECT:           (The purpose of writing the report)

The Body

The body of a memo report, like any technical report, should be concise and to the point. It needs to be properly structured and organised. It should consist of the following elements:

Opening:

This section should consist of 2 to 3 sentences and should state the main purpose of the memo. It should include the main problem with which the memo is concerned with and how it is going to be addressed. A good way to start the opening statement would be “The purpose of this memo is to inform you regarding the recent changes….”

Findings:

While writing a technical report it is crucial to include a summarized version of your findings regarding the concerned topic. It should include key points so that the reader can understand the purpose of the memo immediately. This section can also be labelled as “summary” or “recommendations”

Discussion:

This is the longest section in the memo which deals with all the information and evidences you have collected to support your arguments. This section can be subdivided into four subsections namely, Methods (any experiments or calculations involved), Analysis (the analysis of collected data), Results (summary of results obtained from methods and analysis) and Commentary (your objective views on your findings)

Conclusion:

After discussing your research, you should summarize the main elements of your finding in 2 or 3 sentences that should reiterate all the implications in the memo.

References:

All citations and bibliography are to be mentioned in the references section.