Business Communication Today, 14th Ed.
Chapter 5. Writing Business Messages
"National Punctuation Day is celebrated every year in the US on September 24," declares Lucy Yang (photo, left).
Blake Snow reports on the topic at Cisco.
Writer Katherine Brooks (photo, left) discusses the book - You're Probably Saying It Wrong by Ross and Kathryn Petras.
"Modern business is often conducted via quick-fire typing on tiny screens.
"This was a big style-update year at the American Copy Editors Society (ACES) meeting.
"Grammar rules can seem like a nuisance.
"Everyone in business and design is talking about storytelling these days, and this seems like a good thing: if we can replace the dreary powerpoint decks with tales that win hearts and minds, then life for everyone will be better.
"Occasionally, a new word or phrase breaks out of the confines of the business world and into the cultural conversation.
Shana Lebowitz reports.
Stacey Lastoe (photo, left) shows the way in a piece at TheMuse.
"Would you like to write faster?
"In offices around the world, writers spend time and energy disputing business writing standards.
"Online dictionary Merriam-Webster announced on February 7 that it has added more than 1,000 new words to its catalog, drawing from pop culture, science, foreign languages, sports, medicine, and more.
"A good writer produces not just words, but meaning.
"Communication, language and style matter in all areas of life.
"Compared to our pre-digital forebears, we’re expected to produce torrents of writing: emails, text messages, blog posts, social media, presentations," writes Spencer Critchly (photo, left).
"To highlight some of the most overused buzzwords, we created this visual with 25 of the most overused buzzwords and how much their use has increased in print over the past 30 years.
"I recently attended a dinner meeting whose featured speaker told about her life in a foreign country.
"Online Dictionaries aren't just convenient, they give the people who run the dictionary sites a view into the zeitgeist in a way that was never possible when people looked up words in physical books.
"Americans are notorious for using filler words.
"Americans are notorious for using filler words.
Take a look at Joe Latta's workout for better business writing.
"A team of neuroscientists have built the most intricate map yet for how the human brain processes language.
"Unfortunately, buzzwords can seriously weaken your persuasive messaging and give an impression of insecurity.