How to write effective business English : your guide to excellent professional communication

Cover
Contents
Introduction
01 Why are you writing?
	Who are your readers?
	What’s the purpose of your writing?
	Readers take just a few seconds to judge your writing
	How formal or informal do you need to be?
	Your checklist for action
02 Business writing for today
	Winning business through English
	Academic writing compared to business writing
	Can you use ‘I’ in business writing?
	Listen to readers’ feedback
	Choosing the right style
	Ideal communication
	The word power skills system: four easy steps to premier business writing
	Your checklist for action
03 Quality matters
	Shine through your writing!
	To make mistakes is only human
	How readers can react to written mistakes
	Further costs of getting your writing wrong
	You can never fully outsource your writing
	Checking for mistakes
	Proofreading tips
	Your checklist for action
04 Writing across generations – for colleagues as well as clients
	Pool communication strengths: the rewards of generational diversity
	Write to get that job
	Write to recruit
	Use word power to develop your career and get the results you need
	Write for your boss
	When you’re the boss, writing brings extra challenges!
	Your checklist for action
05 Telling your story through social media
	Social media has shaken ‘the rules’ of business writing
	Get into the social media mindset
	Get your business message to anyone, anywhere, anytime
	What are the key objectives?
	How do companies shine through their social media interaction?
	Writing that creates trust can create a community
	The long and the short of it: past, present and future
	Further writing tips for key channels such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
	What excites people so much they want to share it?
	Call people to action – and check it’s worked
	Telling your story
	Your checklist for action
06 Standard or variant English?
	‘Standard’ and ‘variant’ English
	Writing for both native and non-native English speakers
	Some surprising problems with English for global business
	Define business English within your company
	Your checklist for action
07 Writing globally? Or in multinational teams?
	Looking at how you use English at work
	Converting thoughts into words, then into writing
	Better to ask if you don’t understand something
	These features can perplex readers too
	Muddled business writing costs on so many levels
	Tune in to how English continues to evolve
	Non-native English writers can have an advantage!
	Your checklist for action
08 E-mail and instant messaging
	General
	Writing e-mails
	E-mail scenarios to watch out for
	Multilingual and other e-mail threads
	Structure your e-mails
	Designing how you write e-mails
	Instant messaging and texting
	Your checklist for action
09 Punctuation and grammar tips
	Why punctuation and grammar matter
	Punctuation and other marks
	Parts of speech and other grammar
	Paragraphs
	Verbs and tenses
	Agreement of subject and verb
	Comparison
	Fluidity in writing
	Your checklist for action
10 Practical conventions and common confusions
	Writing a date
	Time
	Numbers
	Measurements
	Words that can confuse both native English and non-native English writers
	Acronyms
	Active and passive
	Nominalization
	Your checklist for action
11 Paper is here to stay
	Letters
	Traditional letter format
	When flexibility is key, you need to adapt letter-writing templates
	A letter that involves the reader with the company’s narrative
	Specific tips about addressing letters
	CVs/résumés and cover letters
	Your checklist for action
Conclusion: What will you do differently – and better?