Business English and Correspondence

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, document types, definitions, citations, and business writing styles from the module.

Commercial Correspondence

Written communication between business parties concerning commercial matters to initiate, carry out, or conclude transactions.

Memorandum

A short official note sent internally among individuals within the same company or organization for effective management and written record-keeping.

Informative Summary

A summary type that objectively conveys factual information from a source text without personal opinions, including outlines, abstracts, and synopses.

Descriptive Summary

A summary type that objectively portrays the structure and main themes of a text rather than directly presenting all raw factual information.

Evaluative Summary

A summary type that combines factual summary points with the writer's judgment and assessment of the source material's accuracy, completeness, and usefulness.

In-text Citation

A citation method that appears directly within the document body, briefly acknowledging the source by author, publication year, and page number.

Reference Citation

A complete bibliographic entry placed at the end of a document containing the full publication details of a cited source.

Footnote

A supplementary note or citation displayed at the bottom of the same page where its corresponding superscript reference mark appears.

Endnote

A citation or explanatory note placed on a dedicated reference list page at the end of the paper or document.

Parenthetical Definition

A brief clarification of a term placed within an existing sentence, often set off by parentheses, commas, colons, or dashes.

Sentence Definition

A formal one-sentence clarification following the structure where an item is placed into a category and then distinguished by unique characteristics.

Extended Definition

A detailed explanation spanning one or more paragraphs that expands upon a basic sentence definition to explain function, operation, and limitations.

Product Specifications

A precise list of technical details, design measurements, materials, and parts required to construct, install, or describe a product.

Full Block Format

A business letter layout in which all text elements are left-aligned and single-spaced, with double spacing placed between paragraphs.

Solicited Application Letter

A cover letter submitted in response to an advertised job vacancy.

Unsolicited Application Letter

A cover letter submitted to a company to inquire about prospective job opportunities without an active advertisement.

Scientific Writing

Technical writing written by a scientist for an audience of scientific peers, typically published in specialized academic journals.

Science Writing

Writing that explains scientific concepts to a general audience through popular media such as magazines or newspapers.

Editorial

An article presenting a newspaper board's official opinion on a current topic to influence public thought or drive constructive action.

Inspection Report

A formal document prepared by a trained professional detailing critical examination, testing, and evaluation of a site, property, or piece of equipment.

Machine Breakdown

An incident where equipment or machinery stops functioning for its intended purpose during active operations.

Literary Writing

Usually fiction, uses creative works.

Essay Wrritng

Develops an argumentative or narrative based on data. Aims to persuade

Technical report Writing

Document written by a researcher detailing results.

Journalistic Writing

Report news. Answers the Who, What, Where, When, & Why