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Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e
Chapter 6 Acetates
© 2008 South-Western/Cengage Learning
Chapter 6
WRITING PROCESS PHASE 3:
REVISE, PROOFREAD, EVALUATE
Revising Tips
 Keep it simple. Avoid indirect, pompous
language.
Foggy:
Clear:
It would not be inadvisable
for you to affix your signature
at this point in time.
You may sign now.
 Keep it conversational.
Formal:
Our Accounting Department takes pleasure in
informing you that we have credited your account
for the aforementioned sum of $100.
Conversational: We’re happy to credit your account for $100.
 Remove opening fillers.
Wordy:
Concise:
There are four new menu items we must promote.
We must promote four new menu items.
 Eliminate redundancies.
collect together
contributing factor
personal opinion
perfectly clear
 Reduce compound prepositions.
at such time, at which time
due to the fact that, inasmuch as
when
because
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Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e
Chapter 6 Acetates
© 2008 South-Western/Cengage Learning
Revising tips (cont.)
 Purge empty words.
As for the field of athletic shoes, the degree of profits sagged.
This is to inform you that we have a toll-free service line.
 Kick the noun habit.
conduct an investigation of
give consideration to
make a decision about
investigate
consider
decide
 Dump trite “business” phrases.
as per your suggestion
pursuant to your request
enclosed please find
as you suggested
as you requested
enclosed is
 Develop parallel (balanced) expression.
Not parallel:
Parallel:
We can collect information, store it, and
it can also be updated.
We can collect, store, and update information.
 Apply graphic highlighting.
Letters, such as (a) and (b) within the text
Numerals, such as 1, 2, and 3, listed vertically
Headings, bullets    
Capital letters, underscores, boldface, italics, font size
(What kinds of graphic highlighting have you seen on
these transparencies? How does it improve readability?)
 Consider measuring readability.
Apply a readability test such as Gunning’s Fog Index.
Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e
Chapter 6 Acetates
© 2008 South-Western/Cengage Learning
57
Proofreading
What to watch for in proofreading
 Spelling
 Grammar
 Punctuation
 Names and numbers
 Format
How to proofread routine documents
 For computer messages, read on the screen or,
even better, print a rough copy to read.
 Look for typos, misspellings, easily confused words.
 Study for inconsistencies and ambiguous expressions.
 Look for factual errors.
How to proofread complex documents
 Print a copy, preferably double-spaced.
 Set it aside and take a breather.
 Allow adequate time for careful proofreading.
 Be prepared to find errors. Congratulate, not criticize, yourself
each time you find an error!
 Read the message at least twice—once for meaning and once
for grammar/mechanics.
 Reduce your reading speed. Focus on individual words.
Evaluating
 How successful will this communication be?
 Does the message say what you want it to?
 Did you encourage feedback so that you will know its
success?
Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e
Chapter 6 Acetates
© 2008 South-Western/Cengage Learning
Basic Proofreading Marks
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