Characteristic for legal, administrative and social activities. For such a phenomenon as the culture of speech, the official business style is very important, because with its help documents and business papers relating to government tasks, court cases and diplomatic communication are drawn up. It is characterized by isolation, stability of many speech patterns, specific vocabulary and special syntactic patterns. Documents written in a formal business manner are compact and filled with cliches and linguistic cliches. These are international treaties, government decrees and acts, legal laws and court decisions, various charters and official correspondence, as well as other types of business papers that differ in the accuracy of presentation and language standard.
This is a special culture of speech. The official business style, in addition to cliches and language clichés, includes an abundance of professional terminology and archaisms. When using this style, ambiguous words are not used at all. Documents also avoid synonyms, and if they are used, their style is also strictly adhered to and the vocabulary is, as it were, shackled within a framework, beyond which it is prohibited.
But the official business style uses nouns in abundance, naming people based on their activities; positions are always called in the masculine gender. Words with a particle are often used not as antonyms for the same words when they are used without a negative particle. Complex and infinitives are also popular in business documents to denote actions performed or being performed. Enough great place In this style of speech, complex words are also used.
Formal business style is preferred homogeneous members. Passive constructions are also often used, that is, impersonal sentences without indicating the person performing the action. The genitive case of nouns forms a chain of syntactic constructions; sentences are often very common and burdened with a subordinate clause.
The official business style has two varieties: official-documentary and everyday business. The first group is the language of such legislative acts as the Constitution Russian Federation and its subjects, charters and programs of parties, as well as diplomatic documents of international importance, such as communiques, memorandums, conventions, etc. The second group includes the language used in the process of conducting official correspondence and drawing up private business papers. These include various certificates, business letters, powers of attorney, advertisements, statements, receipts, autobiographies, etc. It is known how standardized the listed papers are, which greatly facilitates their preparation. The information they contain is brief and used in minimal quantities.
It is known that English is a means of international communication. Therefore, formal business style in English used in diplomatic settings when business papers need to be translated. Varieties business speech in this case, they are determined by the scope of use. Trade agreements and contracts are conducted in the style of commercial correspondence. In the legal field, the language of codes, statutes, state and parliamentary decisions is used. The language of militarized business papers stands out separately.
Thus, the official business style of the English language is intended to serve as a tool with the help of which the parties understand the essence of the matter, which leads to the signing of various agreements.
Business style - what is it?
Business style- one of functional styles a language that “serves” the sphere of official business relations.
Business style is standardization, information content, logic and etiquette.
Business style is:
1) actually formal business style(or, as it is often called, clerical);
2) legal style(language of laws, legislative and by-laws);
3) diplomatic style.
Business style is used in business communication situations:
- organization - organization (business letter);
- person – organization (application, resume);
- organization – person (order, job description).
The communication situation determines the genre of the business document. The content of a particular document covers a variety of business circumstances, but the document does not correspond to each individual circumstance, but to the standard situation as a whole. Therefore, a standardized (corresponding to a single sample) document form and a standardized document language are selected.
From a formal point of view, a document is a set of details (elements of content).
What is standardization?
There are three types of standardization:
First type - sample-matrix. It is characterized by the fixity of three parameters of the text: a set of details, their sequence, and their spatial arrangement. A passport, a voting ballot, a tax return - this is a matrix.
Second type - sample model. It has a greater level of flexibility compared to the matrix sample. The wording may be more free, the spatial arrangement of details may not be strict. The application, power of attorney, and resume are written according to the model.
Third type - sample diagram. This is the least rigid type of document organization, characterized by only one parameter of fixation of a set of details (elements of content). The explanatory note is built according to the scheme.
With the transition to a more flexible design and the complexity of the content, the range of search and the possibility of choosing linguistic means to convey the specific circumstances of an official business speech situation increases.
What is information content?
A document is a business document that has legal force. A document always requires detailed and complete presentation so that the business situation is restored to the reader in all details and becomes clear to him.
Information content is:
- use of stylistically neutral and bookish elements;
- lack of expressively colored vocabulary and interjections;
- unambiguousness of what was said (written).
In business speech, the use of personal pronouns (he, she, they, it) is avoided, since their use in context may contradict the requirements for accuracy and clarity of presentation. Business speech is characterized by the use of terms and close to unambiguous special words of the language, for example: decree, resolution(in stationery style), show someone deep respect(in diplomatic style).
What is logic?
Logical and well-reasoned presentation in business speech is:
- correct use of complex subordinate sentences with conjunctions conveying logical relationships (causes, consequences, conditions);
- correct use of all kinds of clarifications, participial phrases, plug-in constructions;
development of semantic relationships using complex conjunctions and prepositions ( due to the fact that; on the subject of what and so on.).
Writing texts business style The correct format is not given to everyone. The main trap that thousands of authors fall into every day is a completely incorrect interpretation of business texts and a misunderstanding of the principles of their work.
If you believe official sources, That:
Official business style text is the main means of communication in business, legal and other environments that involve the exchange of impersonal official information.
Pretty simple definition, right?! And yet, for some unknown reason, thousands of lawyers, economists, managers and even diplomats try every day to add the same erroneous feature to such texts. Do you know which one?
The Fallacy of Modern Business Correspondence is that people deliberately complicate it. For some reason, it is generally accepted that the more complex the message, the more cunning the terminology and the longer the sentences, the more vigorous the material will be. They say you can’t spoil porridge with butter.
In this material we will try to talk about what it should really be like good text business style, what its structure should be, what you should pay attention to and what mistakes you should not make. We promise that after this note you will be able to look at the rules of writing business texts a little differently.
Requirements for business text and its structure
In general, many documents are written in an official business style, from the constitution and state acts to explanatory and dismissal documents. We are primarily interested in texts for business and therefore the main emphasis will be placed on it.
Business texts have their own distinctive features, which other styles do not have. Here are the main signs:
Conciseness. Creating business text requires pity for the reader. If bureaucrats can afford to create “masterpieces” on many sheets, then this is not welcome in the business environment. Since businessmen are busy people, the texts should be made in such a way that a person can read them without Corvalol. Only facts, only numbers, only important details.
Please understand correctly: brevity does not mean omitting some important details. All explanations must be given and important points- mentioned. Laconism in this case is the rejection of verbiage for the sake of verbiage.
Clear structure. You need to think about the structure of your business letter in advance. There is nothing worse than text in which the meaning constantly jumps from place to place. We recommend choosing a starting point from which to develop your narrative.
If you mention a fact, try to immediately write down everything you want to report about this fact. : There is nothing worse than reading an unstructured “sheet” of text. It is ideal if there is one complete thought in each paragraph. This will make reading much easier.
Lack of emotions. When writing a text in a business style, we recommend remembering the English lords, who cannot be embarrassed even by a bomb explosion. No emotions, just facts with an impartial face. However, there are exceptions here too: if you are corresponding with a person you like, but the format of business communication does not allow special liberties, you can only hint at obvious sympathy.
For example, put exclamation marks in two sentences in a row or enter a word from literary style. It seems like a small thing, but a person experienced in business correspondence will understand everything perfectly.
Simplicity of presentation. If you respect the person who will be reading your text, keep the material simple. Not simplified, but simple. Despite the fact that the rules for writing texts in a business style allow the use of bureaucratic language and special terms, you should not complicate the material complex structures. Alas, sentences are often so confusing and long that at the end you forget the beginning.
Do you see that the proposal is too complicated? Break it down into two or three smaller sentences. It won’t cost you anything, but it will be convenient for the person.
Using prepositions and complex conjunctions. Perhaps business texts are the only format where it is allowed mass use prepositions (based on, in accordance with, and so on) and conjunctions (due to the fact that, due to the fact that, and so on). Of course, you don’t need to put them every other word, but to give the text the appearance of a business message, it’s a very, very good technique.
So, let's once again repeat the basic rules for creating business text:
It should be a clearly structured material of small size.
In such a text there is no place for emotions and loss of logical threads.
You should strive for simplicity of presentation, avoiding complex sentences.
Your goal is to convey business information to people, but make it as simple as possible.
Signs of business textThree examples of mini-texts in business style
Example one. Business letter to client:
Dear Sergey Sergeevich! In response to your installation request new door We inform you that on December 25, a representative of our company will come to you. Typically, door installation time is no more than one hour. We hope that you will be satisfied with the quality of our work.
Example two. A short business text for company employees:
On December 5, 2015, Company N begins participating in the annual social marathon “Feed the Cat.” In this regard, the company management recommends that all employees bring daily workplace 2 liters of milk with a fat content of at least 2.5%.
If you find a cat of any age, you should immediately give the animal milk. Employees who got drunk maximum number animals will be awarded at the end of the current quarter.
Third example. Letter to the manager:
I, Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov, from December 5 to February 12 this year, as part of the social marathon “Feed the Cat,” I gave milk to 12 cats and 10 cats. I spent the bonuses I received for winning a corporate competition for personal purposes.
Since the animals are accustomed to receiving milk from me, and I do not have money for their subsequent feeding, I ask you to allocate an amount of 100,000 rubles to purchase milk at the company’s expense.
Rules for writing business letters
If you didn't already know, business style is divided into two different types:
Official business style.
Casual business style.
The first is zero emotions, a jacket with all buttons and the facelessness of the author. The second is more democratic and emotional (if that can even be said about business texts). By the way, most business letters are written in everyday style. Moreover, interestingly, business correspondence often develops as follows:
Stage one. Official business style;
Stage two. Casual business style;
Stage three. Interspersed with elements of informal communication;
Stage four. Informal communication “without ties”.
It is clear that if in your first letter you write something like “Hello, Kolya! What prices do you have for combine harvesters?”, then it will not be properly appreciated. If you go through all stages of business correspondence “by the rules,” then over time the format of communication can change significantly. This is a common trend.
We have already discussed the rules for writing business texts, and therefore we will not repeat ourselves: letters are written in the same way as texts. However, there are also some unspoken rules of correspondence that we have not yet talked about. Since not everyone knows them, it’s worth talking about them separately:
A business letter must contain a subject. It is bad form to leave the Subject field blank.
You should not change the subject of a business letter or delete your correspondence history without a serious reason. Yes, you may remember all the details of the communication, but the person on the other side mailbox may not remember them.
Neutral emotionality. Even if you are actually ready to attack the recipient with a sledgehammer, business letter this should not be tracked in any way. Corporate culture teaches you to “put your interlocutor in his place” more cunning tricks: “forgetting” to mention a name, refusing to use exclamation marks at the beginning of a letter, ignoring some questions, and so on.
Lack of emoticons. No emoticons until the communication format has reached at least the third stage (elements of informal communication).
Sending a letter with errors is the height of ignorance.
Explanation of refusal. It is enough that banks do not explain the reason for refusal when issuing loans. Be more friendly: even if you are forced to refuse, be sure to soften the tone of the letter and explain the reason.
See for yourself:
First example of a business letter
Hello! We are not planning to buy crushed stone this year. All the best.
Second example of a business letter
Hello, Ivan! Unfortunately, our company does not plan to purchase additional quantities of crushed stone this year. This is due to the fact that we have already fully agreed on the entire list of future expenses, and the company has no funds left for the purchase of crushed stone. We sincerely hope that in next year We will agree with you in advance on the purchase of crushed stone in order to include the necessary funds in the budget in advance.
I think you can see for yourself that the first version was written by a soulless robot, and the second by a person who sincerely regrets. Two business style letters on the same topic, but they are so different!
There is no need to start from afar. If you have something to say, say it right away. When a person starts coming from afar, it becomes more unnerving.
This is the most important rules writing letters in a business style that will definitely be useful to you. The main thing is to remember that some kind of obvious officialdom is not always expected from you. If you see that a person is not averse to moving to a more informal level of communication, feel free to move on. There's nothing wrong with that.
That's all friends. We told you everything we wanted to tell you about creating texts in a business style. If you have questions, comments or additions, do not be lazy to write a comment. We are sure this will only benefit the material.
Official business style in texts. Examples
Every modern person at least once in his life is faced with the need to write a text in an official business style. This is due modern requirements to communication between legal entities, private individuals and government agencies, or private individuals and legal entities. Simply put, when contacting an organization as a representative of another organization or as an individual, you will be forced to write text in an official business style.
One of the most common types of texts in business style is commercial proposal.
Send a request to write a text in a business style to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
In order not to burden you with the rules of writing official business texts, let’s immediately look at a couple of examples.
Example of business text 1. Postponement.
To the director of LLC "..."
Kuznetsov N. S.
Dear Nikolai Sergeevich!
On January 12, we received a commercial proposal from you, in which you offer our company regular supplies of metal for projects implemented by our company.
Our management has reviewed your conditions and is ready to conclude an agreement of intent and, in the future, a cooperation agreement with you. The only obstacle to fruitful cooperation may be the impossibility of supplying rolled metal with deferred payment, which you refuse to provide to us.
We ask you to once again consider the possibility of providing a deferment for large-volume shipments! Otherwise, we will be forced to look for partners for regular supplies of rolled metal products among your competitors.
Sincerely,
Head of the commercial department Petryakova I.I.
Business text example 2. Claim
In March current year our company has entered into an agreement with you for the manufacture and installation plastic windows for equipment of office premises. The total number of windows was 48 pieces, the contract amount was 593,000 rubles.
Following the agreement, the windows had to be installed before September 1st. To date, only a third of the work has been completed, despite full payment from our side.
Considering that our company has fully fulfilled its payment obligations, we demand that the window installation work be completed in full as soon as possible, as well as eliminate the deficiencies described in previously sent claims by November 1, or return the money to us for uncompleted work . We also intend to demand compensation for the damage caused.
In case your company fails to fulfill its obligations under the contract, or in case of refusal to return Money and payment of compensation, we will appeal to the court of the Russian Federation, and also file a complaint with the Prosecutor of the Russian Federation at the location of your company.
See other examples below after reading the rules for writing text in a business style.
Rules for writing business text
Now you can get acquainted with the rules. So, from the examples it is clear that the main rule of a business text is to maintain a business style. What is “business style” in texts? This is, first of all, brevity of presentation, lack of emotion and facts.
In a business text, it is unacceptable to use emotionally charged expressions and colloquial expressions.
The first thing to remember when starting to write a business text in an official style is that your task is to summarize the essence of what you want to write as briefly as possible. Be it a complaint about someone’s actions (or inaction), a request for assistance, a claim, a demand, or something else.
The official business style is most often used in business to draw up commercial proposals, but in private life we often have to present it in a business style when it comes to communicating with government agencies, or about the emerging conflict situation, for example, when purchasing a low-quality product.
For texts in a business style, it is customary to use certain words, which is clearly visible in all the examples given.
“Following”, “considering”, “we ask you to consider the opportunity”, “we ask you to assist”, etc. The set of these phrases depends on the situation, and of course, you must learn to intuitively feel when to use the phrase “we ask you” and when “we demand”.
Other examples of texts in business style
Formal business style- this is a type of literary language that serves the sphere of official business relations: relations between government authorities and the population, between countries, between enterprises, organizations, institutions, between individuals and society.
The function of a business style is that it gives the presentation the character of a document and thereby transfers the various aspects of human relations reflected in this document into a series of official business ones.
Official business style is divided into two types:
1. The official documentary substyle includes the language of diplomacy and the language of laws. His main genre is speeches at receptions, reports, laws, international treaties, official communications.
2. The everyday business substyle includes official correspondence and business papers (application, certificate, order, act, etc.)
The most common distinguishing feature of the official business style is a deliberately restrained, strict, impersonal and objective tone (official coloring), which serves to express the stating and prescriptive nature of documents. In an official business style, the level of communication is high and at the same time specific, since the texts reflect specific situations, there is an indication of specific persons, objects, dates. Distinctive feature style is also the widespread use of standard linguistic means of expression. In addition, standardization in the official business style affects not only language means, form elements, but the entire document or letter as a whole.
The main features of the language of official documents are the following:
1. The use of clerical stamps - reproducible lexical and phraseological units that correspond to frequently repeated situations, common concepts (for the reporting period, taking into account, issued for presentation, listening and discussing...).
2. Use of words-names of persons by action, status (depositor, tenant); collective nouns (elections, children, parents); names of persons by profession and social status (citizens, employees).
3. Introduction of special terminology that does not have synonyms in common vocabulary (order, protocol, agreed upon, in order, party, implementation...).
4. Limitation of the possibility of lexical compatibility of words. For example, a service letter is compiled (not written, not forwarded, not sent).
5. Predominance of nouns.
6. Use of verbal nouns (travel, execution).
7. Most forms of the verb act in the sense of obligation (to count, to oblige).
8. Almost complete absence of personal pronouns of the 1st and 2nd persons and the corresponding personal forms of the verb.
9. The use of predominantly present tense forms of the verb in the meaning of a prescription or obligation, as well as forms of the verb with the meaning of a statement (the commission examined).
10. Widespread use of complex denominative prepositions (for the purpose, by virtue of, along the line, in part).
11. Use primarily the following syntactic structures: simple sentences(as a rule, narrative, personal, widespread, complete), with homogeneous members, isolated phrases, with introductory and plug-in constructions, the predominance of conjunctions over non-conjunctions in sentences; impersonal offers.
12. Using direct word order in sentences.
Let's take a closer look at the genres in which the everyday business substyle (official documents) is implemented.
The word document comes from Latin word documentum, which means “evidence, evidence.” The word document entered the Russian language in the Peter the Great era: business papers that had legal significance began to be called documents. Subsequently, the word document developed two new meanings: 1) narrow everyday meaning: passport, ID; 2 ) figurative, expansive: everything that can testify to something, confirm something (a work of art - a document of the era, etc.).
The definition of official document delineates two spheres of public practice: administrative and managerial, where official documents are used, and scientific and technical, where technical or scientific documentation is used.
Official documents have the following mandatory qualities:
* reliability and objectivity;
* accuracy, eliminating double understanding of the text;
* maximum brevity, laconism of wording;
* impeccability in legal terms;
* standard language when presenting typical situations of business communication;
* neutral tone of presentation;
* compliance with the norms of official etiquette, which is manifested in the choice of stable forms of address and genre-appropriate words and phrases, in the construction of phrases and the entire text.
Documents must be drawn up and executed on the basis of the rules set out in the Unified State Records Management System (USSD).
The type of document must correspond to the given situation and the competence of the institution. Form of documents different types unified. Many documents consist of individual elements- details, the set of which is determined by the type and purpose of the document (for example, addressee, addressee, date, name of the document, signature). The text of a document usually contains two semantic parts: one sets out the reasons, grounds and goals for drawing up the document, the other contains the conclusion, proposals, requests, recommendations, orders. Some documents may consist of one part: an application, an order, a letter.
Documents are not uniform in the degree of unification and standardization. One group consists of documents in which not only the form is uniform, but also the standard content, for example, a passport, diplomas, accounting accounts, etc. The other group includes documents that have a unified form, but variable content; they differ significantly in the content they contain. information (autobiography, act, report, statement, order, etc.).
The following types of documents are distinguished according to their functional meaning:
* Organizational and administrative documents
* Information and reference documents
* Administrative and organizational documents
* Personal documents
* Business letters