Fundamentals of Business Communication - Written Communication Review

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the core concepts of effective written communication, including paragraph structure, tone, emails, memos, and various report types.

Paragraph

A set of ordered sentences that are all related to a particular topic or theme.

Topic Sentence

The sentence that introduces the central theme of a paragraph and prepares the reader for the ideas to follow.

Supporting Sentences

Sentences that link to the topic sentence and build on its information by providing facts, examples, statistics, or expert opinions.

Concluding Sentence

The final sentence of a paragraph that concludes the discussion and links back to the main idea expressed in the topic sentence.

Paragraph Hamburger

An analogy for paragraph structure where the top bun is the topic sentence, the inner ingredients are supporting sentences, and the bottom bun is the concluding sentence.

Tone

The writer's attitude toward the reader and the subject of the message, portrayed through word choice, phrase construction, and punctuation.

Formal Tone

A style used in most business writing (reports, proposals, letters) that exhibits unbiased or objective attitudes and a formal register.

Informal Tone

A personal tone suitable for communication with people known well, commonly used in emails and memos.

Positive Tone

A style conveying an optimistic mood, frequently used in advertising, sales materials, or emails intended to inspire the reader.

Negative Tone

A style conveying discontent or disappointment; used in specific business circumstances like declining a request or delivering unfavorable news.

Language Style

A technique of using language typical of a specific demographic, situation, or goal, impacted by formality, relationships, and genre.

Email

A digital communication environment where messages are sent to one or more recipients to inform, persuade, or enquire about specific information.

Memorandum (Memo)

An internal organizational message containing information or instructions, usually written in a formal or consultative register and often attached to an email.

Report

A formal document that offers details on a certain subject, used to present findings, offer suggestions, track progress, or address issues.

Informative Report

A document that records data about a certain activity or plan for internal use.

Situational Report

A factual account of a specific situation investigating what happened, who was involved, and when/why it occurred.

Periodic Report

A report created at the end of regular time intervals to inform about various metrics, trend analyses, and continuous updates.

Investigative Report

A report that explores a specific premise and methodology to find answers to questions and present conclusions.

Compliance Report

Evidence that an organisation meets certain standards or requirements.

Accident Report

A record of the specifics of an accident used for future reference, legal proceedings, and formulating preventative action plans.

Feasibility Report

A document used to determine the cost and value potential of a proposed project involving market research and business planning.

Progress Report

A report that monitors the ongoing status of a task, including work completed, money spent, and materials consumed.

Feedback Report

An evaluation of employee or process performance, detailing competencies and recommending actions for performance levels.

The 5 Ws and How

Fundamental questions (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How) used to gather complete information and promote efficient decision-making.