Business writing (деловое письмо). Палагина С.С. - 89 стр.

     1) How much does the reader know concerning the situation I am writing about?
     2) How much will he or she understand?
     3) How does he or she want the material presented?

     The writer of a memorandum can avoid the worst faults of intraorganization
writing:
     1) Assuming that the reader knows all the background on the subject covered in
the memorandum. The compexity and specialization of modern business often make
such buckground impossible. Frequently executives tell employees to „send me a
memo on that“ because they want more background to make a decision. Because the
memorandum goes to the files, it becomes a semipermanent record, which should be
understandamble six months or two years after it was written.
     2) Assuming that the reader will understand more than he actually can. In a
complex business where accountants may send reports to salesmanagers, engineers or
to personnel people, this assumption constitutes a major block in communication.
Keep the language of the memorandum suitable to the reader’s understanding; as
writer, you have the responsibility to make him or her understand.
     3) Assuming that you have the one best way of presenting material in the memo.
When the goal is effective communication, the reader is the boss; you should cater to
his or her prejudices in memos wherever you can. Some readers insist on one-page
memos; others want recommendations or conclusions presented at the outset; some
cling to a preference for impersonal style. The point is that a memo is usually written
for a specific person or group whom the writer knows or, at least, can find out about.
Present the material in the form the person or group prefers - they usually have good
reasons for wanting it that way.

      6.3 The Writer

     From this analysis of the reader, we can readily list the obligations you have as a
writer to:

    1) Provide the background of facts necessary to bring your reader up-to-date;
    2) Tell him or her what your memorandum is about and how it is organized;
    3) Write clearly and in language that will be understood Present the memo in the
form and style which the reader prefers or which company policy prescribes.

      6.3.1 The Material

     The writer must do three things:
     1) Decide on the central idea or main purpose of the memorandum;
     2) Subordinate every fact or idea to this central idea or main purpose and show
how these facts or ideas are related logically to the central theme;
     3) Reject any material which is superfluous, irrelevant, or unnecessary for the
reader’s understanding of the central idea.

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