W5D2 LP Business Style

AGENDA:
Conciseness take up points 7 & 8
Goodwill/positive writing/reader benefits
CONCISENESS take up sentences in points 7 & 8
GOODWILL:
What we read can make us feel good or bad
these feelings can affect how we act
if we feel bad after reading something, we may not want to communicate with the person who
wrote the thing that made us feel bad we feel ill-will (unfriendly feeling) toward them
if we read something and feel good, we want to communicate more with them we feel goodwill
(friendly feeling) toward them and we want to continue this feeling
Handout Promoting Goodwill
students read the sentences
circle G if the sentence makes you feel goodwill toward the writer and I if you think the sentence
would make someone feel ill-will
THINK why you circled G or I underline the words helped you make your choice
we are going to try and figure out what words make us feel good and bad
WRITE ON BOARD GOODWILL / ILLWILL
write numbers of sentences under each section and the words people underlined
ON BOARD - CREATE A LIST OF RULES dos and donts
Handout: Sentences Open Option & Positive Emphasis
Focus on the options that remain look at first sentence ASK what cant the reader do? What
can the reader do? Emphasize what they can do
Improve positive emphasis look at first sentence what will reader get? what do they have to
do? put what they get first.
TEACHING POINTS (from textbook chapter)
POSITIVITY:
emphasize what the reader can do rather than what he or she cant (NO NOTS)
avoid negative wording for positive or neutral ideas (NO NOTS)
be careful of word choice, e.g. unfortunately, allege, claim, reject, deny, mistake, regret, unable,
deny, fail(ure) can start a conflict
use dependent clauses and passive voice when giving bad news
READER BENEFITS:
YOU-ATTITUDE present your information from readers point of view use 2 nd person
pronouns (you, your, yourself) instead of 1st person (I, m y, we, us, our) e.g. we give our
customers 5% off their first purchase -> You get 5% off your first purchase. (Dont use with
negative info)
Emphasize reader benefits put good stuff first eg. please fill out our survey to receive a free
gift -> To receive a free gift, please fill out our survey.