Question

Please reply to this post by a classmate. 150 words minimum.

This topic is very interesting to me as I have never thought about my strengths or weaknesses of my writing skills. I believe a strength that I have in writing is the fact the I read and reread everything that I type before I send it on to anyone. I look to make sure all words are spelled correctly and that all my grammar is used correctly. I try to keep all my communications informative and to the point, so to stay on the topic at hand. If possible, I like to know who I am writing to and like to address my correspondence directly to them; but if I can’t, I always try to use “to whom it may concern”. The weaknesses that I know I have is that I have a tendency of being to direct at times and it can come off harsh to some readers. I also tend to be long winded. I don’t know how to keep letters or emails short and sweet. I feel like I need to get everything out that needs to be said, regardless of how long it may make the letter. I am hoping with the class, I will learn how to do short and sweet correspondences and not seem like I am just rambling. In my career professional writing is extremely important as I am an Administrator in my department and am constantly sending out emails and letters daily. I must send emails to doctors, residents, and others in and outside of the hospital regarding different issues everyday all day. All my correspondence must be professional, and the reader must be able to understand what is being said. There is no time for rambling or bad grammar in these types of emails. If I had to rate my email skills on a scale of 1-10, I would give myself a 5. I still make mistakes when sending emails and will not use correct grammar depending on who I am sending the email to. I know that is not very professional and it is something that I need to work on. The areas that I could improve on is the style of my emails and/or letters that I send out. The email errors that I see all the time is people using all caps to get a point a across, not realizing they are yelling in the email. I also see people type in red, which I was always taught that meant you were angry. I try not to use red in any formal email. Finally, another error that I see all the time are people using emojis. In my opinion, emojis do not belong in any work-related emails.

Answer 1

In professional communication, grammar certainly plays a very significant role in construction of sentences and for selection of right words in the sentences. Understanding the grammar topics such as Clauses, gerund, participles and simple topics as conjunction, can help make the sentences shorter without letting those sentences lose the essence of what it is trying to convey to the audiences. Often, it is our belief that we have spelt the words correctly or that our grammar has been close to flawless, while drafting e-mails. However, this could be misconception. With advances made in technology, it is now feasible for the writer of a professional message to quickly refer to some grammar-oriented websites and copy-paste the content the writer wishes to draft in the e-mail, on such websites, to check the authenticity of the grammar-content in the message. In addition, simple software tools, like MS Word, can also help to deal with basic grammar errors, spelling errors, vocabulary enhancements, font designing, etc. Hence, efforts should be taken to draft the initial content on such software so that the scope of ambiguity or grammatical errors in the message is reduced. Emojis are informal way of reaching out to the intended audiences. In formal communication, other than in an interactive notice or advertisements, the usage of the same, could be avoided. On the other hand, re-reading of the sentences and ensuring its grammar is correct, are few of the steps that shall ensure a favorable feedback from the recipients as well because those messages shall carry clarity in content.