Welcome to the final chapter of Writing For Results!

In the previous chapters, you learned about the Writing Process, a five-stage procedure to help you write effective business correspondence.

In this chapter, you're going to practise everything you've learned as you write a letter using the Writing Process.

When you finish your letter, you'll be able to compare it with an example provided by HSBC.

Objectives

By the end of this chapter you'll have

l        reviewed the Writing Process by completing a quick quiz and

l        used the Writing Process to write a business letter in reply to a customer.

This means you'll have

l        planned your document using 3 strategies

l        organised your document using the SOFAR outline

l        drafted your document by just writing - no editing

l        revised your document using the "5 Cs" and

l        edited your document for the four most common grammar errors 

So, by the end of this chapter you should be able to write documents that get the results you want!

The Writing Process: A Quick Review

Before you begin writing your business letter, complete the following quiz. The ten questions will help you review the Writing Process.

Choose the correct answer. For some questions, you can choose more than one answer.

1. What is the correct order for the 5 stages of the Writing Process?

A. Edit, Organise, Draft, Plan, Revise

B. Draft, Revise, Organise, Plan, Edit

C. Plan, Draft, Organise, Edit, Revise

D. Plan, Organise, Draft, Revise, Edit

2. What questions should you consider in the Planning stage?

A. What should I include as the background?

B. What does my reader need to know?

C. Why am I writing this letter?

D. What would I like my reader to do?

3. In the Planning stage, which strategy involves providing specific details or facts?

A. Background

B. Reader's Information

C. Reader's Response

D. Writer's Purpose

4. In the Organising stage, what is the correct order for the contents of the letter?

A. Background, Reader's Information, Writer's Purpose, Reader's Response

B. Background, Writer's Purpose, Reader's Response, Reader's Information

C. Background, Writer's Purpose, Reader's Information, Reader's Response

D. Background, Reader's Response, Writer's Purpose, Reader's Information

5. Which set of letters can help you remember the five parts of a business letter?

A. SORAF

B. FARSO

C. SROFA

D. SOFAR

6. What do you need to do in the third stage of the Writing Process?

A. check the document is complete

B. rewrite the document in a concise style

C. only write - don't edit!

D. check that all paragraphs are cohesive

7. What are the "5 Cs" of the Revising stage?

A. Concise

B. Cohesive

C. Complete

D. Considerate

E. Clear

F. Courteous

8. What makes a cohesive paragraph?

A. one topic sentence

B. supporting sentences

C. one main idea

D. transitions

9. What are the four "Ps" that make a letter courteous?

A. Polite

B. Personal

C. Practical

D. Positive

E. Professional

10. What common errors are checked in the fifth stage of the Writing Process?

A. sentences with two verbs

B. verbs + prepositions

C. passive verbs

D. word class

E. countable/uncountable nouns

    Question                                                                                                     Correct Answers1. What is the correct order for the 5 stages of the Writing Process?           Plan, Organise, Draft, Revise, Edit2. What questions should you consider in the Planning stage?       

 Why am I writing this letter?                                                                                                                                                         

 What Does my reader need to know?

 Whatwould I like my reader to do?

  3. In the Planning stage, which strategy involves "specific details or facts"?                   Reader's Information4. In the Organising stage, what is the correct order for the contents of the letter?

Background, Writer's Purpose,

Reader's Information, Reader's Response

5. Which set of letters can help you remember the five parts of a business letter?               SOFAR6. What do you need to do in the third stage of the Writing Process?   only write - don't edit!7. What are the "5 Cs" of the Revising stage?  Courteous, Clear, Concise, Complete, Cohesive8. What makes a cohesive paragraph?  

one main idea, one topic sentence

supporting sentences, transitions

9. What are the four "Ps" that make a letter courteous?    Polite, Personal, Positive, Professional10. What common errors are checked in the fifth stage of the Writing Process?  

sentences with two verbs

    verbs + prepositions

word class 

 countable/uncountable nouns

                                                                       

 The Writing Process: Recommendations

Use the table below to identify which chapters you may need to review.

           

 If you have the answer wrong for   Then you need to reviewQuestion 1    IntroductionQuestion 2  Chapter 1Question 3Chapter 1Question 4    Chapter 2Question 5Chapter 2Question 6Chapter 3Question 7  Chapter 3Question 8  Chapter 4Question 9  Chapter 6 Question 10   Chapter 8