Writing

Professional writing skills for business communication.

Principles of good writing

1. Be clear — Say exactly what you mean
2. Be concise — Remove unnecessary words
3. Be specific — Use concrete details
4. Be active — Prefer active voice

Active vs Passive voice

Passive (avoid)	Active (prefer)
The report was written by the team.	The team wrote the report.
Mistakes were made.	We made mistakes.
A decision will be made.	We will decide.

Use passive when the actor is unknown or unimportant.

Concise writing

Wordy	Concise
at this point in time	now
in order to	to
due to the fact that	because
in the event that	if
a large number of	many
make a decision	decide
give consideration to	consider

Email writing tips

1. Clear subject line — "Q3 Budget Review: Approval Needed"
2. One topic per email — Easier to respond and track
3. Front-load important information — Lead with the point
4. Use bullet points — For lists and action items
5. Proofread — Errors undermine credibility

Email structure

Subject: [Topic] - [Action if needed]

Hi [Name],

[Context in one sentence]

[Main point/request]

[Details if needed, in bullets]

[Clear next step]

Best,
[Your name]

Reports and documents

Structure

1. Executive summary — Key points for busy readers
2. Introduction — Context and purpose
3. Body — Organized by topic or chronology
4. Conclusions — Key findings
5. Recommendations — Suggested actions

Formatting

• Use headings to organize content
• Keep paragraphs short (3–5 sentences)
• Use bullet points for lists
• Include visuals where helpful

Punctuation essentials

Mark	Use
.	End statements
,	Separate clauses, list items
;	Connect related independent clauses
:	Introduce lists, explanations
—	Emphasis, interruption
'	Contractions, possessives

The Oxford comma

Recommended in American English:

• "I need reports, data, and analysis." ✓
• "I need reports, data and analysis."

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