Bad Writing Makes Smart People Look Dumb Summary

Poor writing skills have become a major problem in corporate America. Many of today's employers say that good writing skills are essential not only for existing employees but also for new hires (Simkin, Crews, & Groves, 2012). In a survey of 120 U.S. Corporations, nearly a third of all employees have poor writing skills. Who is to blame for the lack of writing skills of Americans today?

1. At the beginning of the essay Merrill seems to be a bit bashful about poor writing. But Merrill also uses “Poor” and “Principle” in his title “The Principle of Poor Writing.” This irony shows that it can be a negative or positive. Another example of Merrill using irony can be found on page 428 “Many scientists actually do write poorly, but they probably perform by ear without perceiving clearly how their results are achieved.” Merrill’s title, introduction or advice did not tip me off because many people in today’s society do struggle with writing.

It is essential to understand that classes taken in grade school do not give students a full understanding of each subject. With the topic of writing, there will always be a new lesson to learn, an aspect to improve, or a differing way to explain. Author Craig Vetter states in Bonehead Writing, “This is your enemy: a perfectly empty sheet of paper. Nothing will ever happen here except what you make happen.” Each story, essay, or response comes from a writer’s experiences. With each attempt at a new piece comes an underlying story of emotions the writer is facing. Each person’s writing is unique and the ideas people have are related to their past experiences and what they believe to be familiar with when deciding which writing style to use. As a high school student, I have learned many things about writing that helped me become the improved writer I am today, but the most essential advice I have received is practice makes perfect. Although there is no actual perfect way of writing, I have discovered that each essay I write, my writing improves. It is easier to spot mistakes, find areas to improve, and ponder elevated word choice to use.

Explain the importance of using correct grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and conventions in business communications.

Finding time to proofread and revise messages is important. In business communication, people need to be able to construct clear messages because, as Chapter 4 mentions, time is money. The revision allows people to cut out unnecessary words to shorten a sentence and stick with the main idea. Often, the first draft can have repeated thoughts, which not only throws the reader off but also makes the writer look unprofessional.

were largely time-constrained. Furthermore, we also used Luntz’s principle of simplicity when giving our presentation as we did not delve into the minutia of most of the issues, opting instead for presenting a broad overview and the key findings which supported our proposition. In “Ten Rules of Effective Language” Luntz justifies his brevity claim by showing the number of successful brands that employ short, but memorable taglines such as Nike, Dell and 7-up. Luntz also provides evidence for his advice on using simplicity by stating that the majority of Americans have not graduate college and that, in general, the use of larger than necessary words elicits suspicion (Luntz, 2007). In our presentation’s strategy therefore, we attempted to take

Why do you need to know the purpose of any communication you are sending and its Intended audience (1.1, 1.2) In what way does this affect the language you might use when producing written communication or information? (2.3)

A lot of business has individuals whose first language may not be English so making information, instructions, requests etc. as clear and as brief as possible is a good way to communicate. This doesn’t just apply to people whose first language isn’t English. It should apply to everyone. Just some more than others. Another example, visually and hearing impaired individuals will need communicating to more clearly as they have difficulty communicating in the more popular ways.

Business Writing is a type of written communication, usually with standard structure and style. It addresses the needs of specific audiences and has style and lists for a particular topic that concerns business.

Reflecting on this course over this semester, there have been many lessons learned that will be valuable, as we enter the business world. Our first lesson was to learn to work together, as a team, to prepare a short memo, long memo, letter, and email for use in the business world. This is a lesson that will experience many times as we do our daily work. Punctuation and grammar are so important to present to the client and other organizations that we are professionals. It could mean the loss of a sale or acquiring new business. It’s like dressing for work; looking professional or unprofessional.

After our first essay, we immediately began our second, “oh my God”, were my exact words that I remembered myself saying, as I took a deep breathe. In fact, during all of this mind boggling confusion going on in my head, I felt that this next essay was going to be more complicated. Which immediately lead me to recall “What is Academic Writing Myth #4” when Irvin suggested that “Some got it; I don’t – the genius fallacy” (5). Myth #4 suggests that when we begin to think of our writing flaws, we tend to blame genetics. We offer up explanations that it’s out of our control,

Success in any business depends on one thing: the ability and knowledge to communicate. The knowledge of good business writing is a very important factor and part of our day-to-day business. We have to understand and take some time in writing business letters. It will require a little planning and some thought, but for the company, it can make the difference between successful and failed business deals. We must not forget that our aim is to build a lasting relationship with our internal and external clients.

Business communication can be defined as the process of sharing information among business professionals, prospective customers, and affiliates who are associated with an organization. The essential skills of business communications are currently in demand and highly required for the workforce for the modern workforce. To be an effective communicator is to have the ability to respond with skill, confidence, and assertiveness and is pertinent to the quality and expertise business professionals considered for employment. Hence, knowing how to communicate properly in an organizational structure requires the skill of communication necessary to interact with different levels of management. In a world

It is very important, and psychological aspects of business communication. Question that is constantly facing business people

Business communication is abound in today's society. The ability to communicate has always had its advantages, with its rich history, and traditions, modern business communication is valued as a modern day concept. Business executives rate the ability of business communication skills as among the personal factors necessary in gaining a job. As stated by Hynes (2005)” effective business communication is the key to planning, leading, organizing, and controlling the resources of the organizations to achieve objectives” (Conrad & Newberry, 2011, p112). This essay will examine what business communication skills is needed for the process of graduating in Westminster Business School, while giving recommendations in studying