Section 1 Select and prepare resources

BSBITU306 – Design and produce business documents

Learning guide V2.1 © AAMC Training Group 3

Section 1 Select and prepare resources

Business documents

A company uses documents to communicate, transact business and

analyse its productivity. Since documents provide proof of an

organisation’s dealings and may be referred to for years to come, it is

important that they be well written.

Business documents range from brief email messages to complex legal

agreements. Some documents are prepared by employees and business

owners, while others are drafted by professionals from outside of the

company, such as accountants and lawyers.

There are many different types of documents you might use in the

workplace to communicate ideas and events. Some typical examples are

described below:

Emails and memorandums

Co-workers typically use email to convey information to each other. Before

email became prevalent, memorandums were used for interoffice

messages. Memos are still used in situations where a message is meant to

accompany a specific file and in cases that require more privacy than an

email. Both a memo and an email identify the sender and recipient and

contain a subject line. The text is formatted in one or more paragraphs.

Letters

Business letters are used to communicate with individuals outside of the

office. Recipients may include customers, colleagues in other businesses,

service providers, professionals who advise the business, government

officials and job applicants.

A business letter is usually formatted in block style, in which all of the

elements of the letter, except the letterhead, are aligned with the left

margin. It can be emailed or delivered by mail.

If a letter is sent in the text of an email, the sender includes his name,

job title and contact information at the bottom of the email.

Reports

Business reports convey information in a format that is more formal and

usually longer than a letter. Reports cover a variety of topics, such as

safety compliance, sales figures, financial data, feasibility studies and

marketing plans. They may include statistics, charts, graphs, images, case

studies and survey results. Some reports are published for the benefit of

investors. If a report is periodic, such as a monthly sales report, a template

is used for convenience and to enable comparison with previous reports.


4 © AAMC Training Group Learning guide V2.1

Transactional documents

A company uses documents to transact business with its clients. To save

time, these documents may be formatted as a form, such as an order

form, transmittal page, invoice or receipt.

The types of transactional documents used vary somewhat by the

nature of a business. An insurance agent, for example, generates

insurance applications and policies, while a lender uses loan applications

and mortgage documents. In some fields, businesses enter into

agreements and contracts with others; these documents might be

drafted by the company’s lawyer.

Financial documents

A business uses financial documents to stay within its budget, prepare

budget proposals and file tax returns. These documents include receipt

records, payroll reports, paid bills, bank statements, income statements,

balance sheets and tax reporting forms. These documents may be

prepared by the company’s accountant.

A business owner uses these documents to determine the financial

success of the company and to identify areas that are unproductive. A

department head might use financial documents to prepare a budget

proposal.

Technology

Technology has become part of our everyday lives. Businesses use different

kinds of technology every day and as such, we need to understand what

they are and how we can use them in creating documents.

Computer components

Any computer is made up of two major parts:

Hardware

Software

Hardware

When creating documents, you will be using several devices. The

physical equipment of the computer is known as hardware. Any item

you can actually touch is hardware.



Input hardware

These come in many different shapes and sizes, and are tailored specifically

for particular systems. Below is a list of common input devices:

Keyboards

Touch screens

Pointing devices

Mouse

Touchpad/track pad

Joystick

Composite devices (capable of multiple abilities: movement, clicking,

etc.)

Game controllers

Light pen

Graphics tablet

Imaging input devices

Digital cameras

Webcam

Image scanner

Fingerprint scanner

Barcode reader

Audio input devices

Microphone

MIDI Keyboard

Drum machine

Processing hardware

Processing in a computer system is handled by the Central Processing

Unit (CPU).

The motherboard of a computer is essential to this process as it houses

the CPU, RAM and other integral components.

Random access memory (RAM) allows for the data being processed to

be stored temporarily.

Output hardware

Output devices are continuously changing as technology advances.

Various types of display outputs as well as printers and audio devices

continue to evolve daily. These devices are responsible for transmitting

data in to a form that we as humans are able to interpret: e.g. text,

images, and audio.

Monitors

Printers

Haptic sensors (for example, mobile device vibrations upon touch input)

Sound cards and speakers



Storage hardware

Often data that has been processed is stored for later processing or

reading. Many devices are capable of storing such information such as:

Hard disk drives (HDDs)

Solid-state drives (SSDs)

Optical drives (CDs / Blu-ray / DVD)

Flash storage devices (USB storage disks)

Network-attached storage devices (NAS)

Software

Software is a generic term for organised collections of computer data

and instructions, often broken into two major categories:

system software that provides the basic non-task-specific functions of

the computer

application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks.

System software

System software is responsible for controlling, integrating, and

managing the individual hardware components of a computer system so

that other software and the users of the system see it as a functional

unit without having to be concerned with the low-level details such as

transferring data from memory to disk, or rendering text onto a display.

Generally, system software consists of an operating system and some

fundamental utilities such as disk formatters, file managers, display

managers, text editors, user authentication (login) and management

tools, and networking and device control software.

Application software

Application software, on the other hand, is used to accomplish specific

tasks other than just running the computer system.

Application software may consist of:

a single program, such as: an image viewer;

a small collection of programs (often called a software package) that

work closely together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet or

text processing system;

a larger collection (often called a software suite) of related but

independent programs and packages that have a common user interface

or shared data format, such as Microsoft Office, which consists of closely

integrated word processor, spreadsheet, database, etc.;

or a software system, such as a database management system, which is

a collection of fundamental programs that may provide some service to

a variety of other independent applications.



Document production software

Word processing

Word processing software is used to manipulate a text document, such as

a resume or a report. You typically enter text by typing, and the software

provides tools for copying, deleting and various types of formatting.

Word processing includes a number of tools to format your pages. For

example, you can organise your text into columns, add page numbers,

insert illustrations, etc. However, word processing does not give you

complete control over the look and feel of your document. When design

becomes important, you may need to use desktop publishing software to

give you more control over the layout of your pages.

Word processing software typically also contains features to make it

easier for you to perform repetitive tasks. The letter is the same for all

customers except for the name and address at the top of the letter. A

mail merge function allows you to produce all the letters using one

template document and a table with customer names and addresses in

the database.

Word processors vary considerably, but all word processors support the

following basic features:

insert text: Allows you to insert text anywhere in the document.

delete text: Allows you to erase characters, words, lines, or pages as

easily as you can cross them out on paper.

cut and paste: Allows you to remove (cut) a section of text from one

place in a document and insert (paste) it somewhere else.

copy: Allows you to duplicate a section of text.

page size and margins: Allows you to define various page sizes and

margins, and the word processor will automatically readjust the text so

that it fits.

search and replace: Allows you to direct the word processor to search

for a particular word or phrase. You can also replace one group of

characters with another everywhere that the first group appears.

word wrap: Automatically moves to the next line when you have filled

one line with text, and it will readjust text if you change the margins.

print: Allows you to send a document to a printer to get hardcopy.

Examples of word processing software:

Microsoft Word

WordPerfect

Pages by Apple.



Spreadsheets

A spreadsheet is an interactive computer application for organisation,

analysis and storage of data in tabular form. Spreadsheets are developed

as computerised simulations of paper accounting worksheets. The

program operates on data entered in cells of a table. Each cell may

contain either numeric or text data, or the results of formulas that

automatically calculate and display a value based on the contents of other

cells. A spreadsheet may also refer to one such electronic document.

Spreadsheet users can adjust any stored value and observe the effects on

calculated values. This makes the spreadsheet useful for "what-if" analysis

since many cases can be rapidly investigated without manual recalculation.

Modern spreadsheet software can have multiple interacting sheets, and can

display data either as text and numerals, or in graphical form.

Besides performing basic arithmetic and mathematical functions, modern

spreadsheets provide built-in functions for common financial and

statistical operations. Such calculations as net present value or standard

deviation can be applied to tabular data with a pre-programmed function

in a formula. Spreadsheet programs also provide conditional expressions,

functions to convert between text and numbers, and functions that

operate on strings of text.

Examples of spreadsheet software:

Microsoft Office Excel

Google Sheets

Apple iWork Numbers

Desktop publishing software

Desktop publishing (abbreviated DTP) programs are used in creating

documents using page layout skills on a personal computer. Desktop

publishing software can generate layouts and produce typographic quality

text and images comparable to traditional typography and printing.

This technology allows individuals, businesses, and other organisations to

self-publish a wide range of printed matter. Desktop publishing is also the

main reference for digital typography. When used skilfully, desktop

publishing allows the user to produce a wide variety of materials, from

menus to magazines and books, without the expense of commercial printing.

Examples of DTP software:

Adobe InDesign

QuarkXPress

Microsoft Office Publisher

PagePlus



Microsoft applications

Excel

Excel is a spreadsheet application for calculations, graphing tools, pivot

tables, etc.

PowerPoint

Big business design template for your client presentations or your first

home buyer seminar or SMSF seminar.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/templates/redir/XT102596283.aspx


http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/templates/redir/TC010241382.aspx





Word

Send a great business newsletter to your client database and referral

network.

Publisher

Create marketing materials and other documents.






Section 2 Design document

Clarify format and style

Depending on the type of document you are producing, the way in which

it needs to be presented will vary. Your organisation may have

standardised procedures and set templates that it uses for specific

documentation.

For example, a company letter head may always be used for letters sent

out to clients, there may be a generic template for minutes of meetings,

and specific envelopes and labels may be used for certain mail merges.

Relevant personnel

It is important to familiarise yourself with all of these factors relating to

the production of the document before producing it. If you are unsure or

do not know, you need to seek clarification from the appropriate

member of staff.

Relevant personnel may include:

Fellow employee

Supervisor

Office manager

Administration department.

Organising information for creating documents

In your business, you will be constantly gathering data from many

different sources and you will need alternate programs so that you can

safely and securely contain that data. For your compliance, you will also

need to understand that this is very important that you keep this

information confidential as well as secure.

Now that you know more about the computers and applications used in

your workplace, you can start to use them. The first step will be to

gather the data you are going to use.

Before you begin to gather data to input into the computer, you will

need to be clear about the difference between data and information.

Data is a collection of facts, which can be added, subtracted, compared

or sorted. A fact can be almost anything; the number of items a

customer has ordered or even daily average temperatures etc.

Information may include data or the results of processed data. It also

includes text or words, graphics, video images and voice input.



Document design and layout

When a request/requirement arises to design/produce a document, ensure

all information is received (complete a brief) to include, timeframe

document is required within, the purpose of the document, the audience

and any technical requirements.

When designing, you should put yourself in the reader’s place. Try to think

through everything you do from the reader’s point of view. You cannot

force anyone to read anything, but you can make a document clear,

accessible, and adaptable, to help readers navigate their way around the

text for any purpose. There are certain principles of legibility and

perception which should be followed to help achieve this.

When developing a basic design for your documents you will need to

consider both their purpose and their function. What information is being

presented, how will the documents be used, will they be provided in printed

form or will they be accessed online?

NOTE: Your organisation may already have templates or a style guide in

place to be used in designing and producing business documents.

Templates and style guides are tools for ensuring that all documents or

pages have a standard layout, look and feel. These also ensure consistent

messaging and branding. These will be discussed further in detail in this

section.

Purpose of document

Workplace documents can have many different purposes. They might be

to inform work team members of a change in production, to reply to a

customer complaint, or to record decisions made at a meeting. Although

your purpose might be obvious to you, you must make sure that it is

equally obvious to your reader if you want your communication to be

effective.

By identifying your purpose, you can focus on what information you

need to include in your document. A document with a clear purpose has

all the information the reader needs without being long and rambling.

The purpose of your document will also affect the sort of style and

format you use. Your response to a customer complaint for example will

look and sound very different to safety instructions for OH & S. Some

documents such as memos and letters might even have specific

formatting ‘rules’ that make them easy to recognise and read.

When identifying your purpose, ask yourself the following questions:

What message do I want to put across to my reader?

What action do I want them to take in response?



Purposes include to:

Inform – factual information that could include:

organisational newsletter

changes in organisational policy and procedure

information for clients

internal memos between departments

key performance indicators required for meetings and/or

presentations

agendas and briefing papers

press releases

Persuade – often sensational and exciting information that could

include:

advertising and promotional documents

testimonials

Instruct – direct and often formal instructions which could include:

minutes from meetings with action points

direct instructions to employees and/or management

final warning notices to clients with overdue payments

purchase order forms

Describe – a descriptive document that could include:

details of an accident or incident in the workplace

a witness statement.

Educate:

training documents

changes to legislation.

Who is your audience?

When planning your document you will also need to identify your

audience, that is, who is going to read the document?

Your audience may be as small as one or two people, or as large as a

whole department or workplace. It is important to think about who your

audience is so that your document can suit their needs.

When thinking about your audience you should ask yourself the

following questions:

What is the reading ability of the audience?

What does the audience need to know?

What would the audience already know about this subject?

How would you feel about this subject if you were the audience?



Visual style and features of document

What size and orientation will your document be—is a standard paper

size like A4 or A3 appropriate or will you need to set a custom size; does

your document layout require a portrait or landscape orientation?

Is colour an important feature of the document or is black on white a

better choice for printable documents?

Colour, if used, can be chosen to suit the subject of the document; to

add visual contrast, formality or informality; or to identify the structure

of your information or highlight key concepts and important points.

Will your document include any branding, labelling or copyright notices?

Will you need to break your document into sections—how do you retain

the feel that it is the same document?

Some basic principles of layout

Document layout, in its most basic sense, is the art of arranging 'blocks'

of content (text and images etc.) on a visual plane (the page/s). It

includes making judgements about balance, dominance, order, flow,

alignment and space. Well-designed documents can make content

easier to read and so enhance comprehension.

A common device used when designing a document is a layout grid—it is

used to divide the page up into regular column and row divisions, which

then act as guides for the arranging and alignment of objects.

Dominant elements can be used to help guide the reader/viewer,

highlighting key break points in the information and emphasising

important concepts and ideas.

Space is a handy tool in the layout arsenal—it can be used to open up

very text dense documents to improve readability, to help provide visual

balance on a page and to aid the flow of information.



Style guides

A style guide (or manual of style) is a set of standards for the writing

and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific

publication, organisation, or field. A style guide can be used to create

templates.

Essentially, it’s a document that describes, defines and presents

examples of what your brand looks like in various visual media such as

print, Internet and broadcast. To be effective it must clearly define the

rules around your online presence in all channels such as websites,

landing pages, mobile sites, online ads, blogs, social media channels and

email communications (including email signatures!). Style guides ensure

brand consistency throughout any collateral you produce – no matter

who created it.

It is imperative not only that you create a brand style guide, but that

you keep it up-to-date and in the hands of everyone who touches your

brand. If your company is like most, your brand – meaning your logo,

tagline, graphics and text elements – is touched by many entities before

content is delivered to the public. These entities include distinct

departments within your company as well as one or more outside

resources managing various aspects of online content creation and

delivery. For example, a business may have one company updating

website content, a marketing company working on SEO and online ads,

and other companies working on social media and blog management.

To assure that your brand is handled consistently, each one of these

entities must adhere to the same set of guidelines when touching your

brand. Your brand style guide will accomplish this purpose. With a

common style guide to bind all who touch the inner sanctum of your

brand, your followers will experience a cohesive, unified marketing

message across all channels.

Logo size and placement

Define and give examples of your logo. Show how your logo should be

used in various formats including full colour, black and white,

transparent, or on different backgrounds. You should also provide logo

files for users in .png, .jpg and vector-based formats. If you have a

tagline, make sure there are rules around placement, font, colour and

size in relationship to the logo.

It’s also important to show how to not use the logo. Designers are

creative by nature, and it’s important to show them what they’re not

supposed to do alongside what they should.

That way if there’s any issue, you can refer them to the style guide and

show where it clearly states how the logo can and cannot look.



Below are samples from FourSquare’s Brand Book:

https://issuu.com/bondo/docs/foursquare

https://issuu.com/bondo/docs/foursquare



Colour palette

Provide HEX and RBG colour values for each colour in your palette.

Include recommended colour combinations. Many brands have primary

and secondary colour palettes to define the main colours to be used and

accent colours.

Below is a sample from Google’s Visual Assets Guidelines:

https://www.behance.net/gallery/9028077/google-visual-assets-

guidelines-part-1

https://www.behance.net/gallery/9028077/google-visual-assets-guidelines-part-1

https://www.behance.net/gallery/9028077/google-visual-assets-guidelines-part-1



Typography

Define the font families, sizes, kerning, line spacing, colours for various

content types; header, sub-head, paragraph, cite, block quote, labels,

form headers or any other formatted text that will be used.

Below is a sample from Skype’s Brand Guidelines:

https://issuu.com/bondo/docs/skype_brand_book_-_look

Layout

Define where and how HTML and other elements are positioned on the

page and how they relate to each other. Define margins, padding,

gutters or grid patterns of the overall layout as well as any specific

elements if different. If necessary, provide examples of the layout to

show the differences in pages or layout templates, such as landing

pages, product pages and email communications.

https://issuu.com/bondo/docs/skype_brand_book_-_look



Graphics and icons

Define what type, sizes, file sizes, dimensions, and styles should be

used for graphics and icons on your site. Do you have specific icon sets

that need to be used? Show examples or have a library of graphics and

icons prepared for usage. Your graphic designer can customise or design

icons for you.

Below is a sample from Skype’s Brand Guidelines:

https://cdn.cms-twdigitalassets.com/content/dam/brand-twitter/asset-

download-zip-files/Twitter_Brand_Guidelines.pdf

Templates

A template is a sample document that has already some details in place;

those can be adapted (that is added/completed, removed or changed,

differently from a fill-in-the-blank approach as in a form).

For example, you might use template in Microsoft Word that is formatted

as a business letter. The template would likely have a space for your name

and address in the upper left corner, an area for the recipient's address a

little below that on the left site, an area for the message body below that,

and a spot for your signature at the bottom.

When you save a file created with a template, you are usually prompted to

save a copy of the file, so that you don't save over the template. Templates

can either come with a program or be created by the user.

As previously mentioned, the style guide sets the standards for writing and

designing documents, therefore if your organisation has a style guide, it

should be used in creating templates.

https://cdn.cms-twdigitalassets.com/content/dam/brand-twitter/asset-download-zip-files/Twitter_Brand_Guidelines.pdf

https://cdn.cms-twdigitalassets.com/content/dam/brand-twitter/asset-download-zip-files/Twitter_Brand_Guidelines.pdf



Setting up a template

Putting some thought into the set-up of your document template initially

will ensure that you create an effective and flexible starting point for

developing your documents. Start by building a framework for your

template, which can then be personalised to suit your particular needs.

Develop some draft designs / specifications

Write down your requirements/needs—what type of information do you

want to include in your document, how might you present this

information to maximise its readability/usability, will you use headers

and footers—then sketch some rough layout options. Think about layout

at the 'block' level; as a page design.

What features will be common to your finished documents? Include

them into your rough designs/specs.

Another approach is to begin with a pre-defined template and then

modify it to suit your particular needs.

Document level considerations

Set up the page size and the primary margins for your documents. Keep

in mind that you may need to account for such things as printing

limitations when establishing these settings.

If your document will be produced in booklet format you will need to set

appropriate internal margins.

Is a 'different first page' required, e.g. for a title page or to carry a

course banner in the heading?

If your document is to be laid out in columns, do they need to be pre-set?

Page level elements

The next step is to set up the page-level, or structural, elements—where

are the key text areas located, how many levels of heading do you need

to include, will you need to allocate space for tables and images?

You can add placeholder items into the document so that you can see

the template design at a glance.

The nonsense text 'Lorem Ipsum' is used by designers to mimic

paragraph text—it is good to use for these placeholders. You can find it

easily by doing a web search.

If you will use headers and footers in your documents, you can set

placeholders for these in your template.

Other items that may be part of your documents include corporate

'branding' elements and repeating elements like borders, rules and

backgrounds.



Adding styles and page elements

Once your framework is in place you can then add some style to your

template by modifying the look and feel of the various elements. Keep in

mind that less is more—too much styling can make it difficult for the

reader/viewer to engage with your information effectively.

Creating and saving styles

Microsoft Word may have 'Keep track of formatting' turned on—turn this

off, particularly when developing templates. This will avoid you creating

a new style for every action you take on a piece of text.

Build your styles on the structural elements you defined in your page-

level setup, then save them as your template specific styles, or base

them on the default Word styles—modify them and then save as new

styles to your own template.

Font choice, colour, and shading

The typeface/s you choose to use can have an impact on the readability

of your information—some studies suggest that serif fonts are easier to

read for printed documents, but sans serif fonts are a popular choice for

screen based documents. Decorative and specialised fonts should only

be used where appropriate. A good rule of thumb is to restrict yourself

to 2 or 3 fonts per document—you can then expand their range and add

variety by using bold, italics and changes in size.



Choose colours to suit the purpose of your document—you can use a

restricted palette of black and greys (especially suitable for printing to

standard laser printers and copiers); a contrast colour used with black

can be used to highlight key information and also be used to provide

visual interest for your reader/viewer.

Restricting yourself to using only a few colours in a document will help

you avoid potentially garish results. Different colours, or colour sets, can

also be used to identify different documents or groups of documents.

The overuse, or inappropriate use, of shading, 3D effects and coloured

or pictorial backgrounds can make the reader's job difficult—limit their

use to when they add value to your information. Recent versions of

Word allow the easy creation of 'smart art' objects—again, use wisely, if

the document is printed in black on white the contrast between colours

may not reproduce very well.

Font size, line length, leading

Leading is the space between the baseline of one line of type and the

baseline of the next line of type. It is usually expressed in points.

These three factors are interrelated. If you increase the font size, for

example, you might also have to increase the space between lines to

maintain legibility. The rules of thumb are these: space between letters

should be less than word space, and word space less than the space

between lines.

When using Desktop Publishing (DTP) software, in text designed for

continuous reading, lines should be between 50 and 70 characters in

length (including letters, numerals, spaces, and punctuation). If there

are fewer than that, there may be too many awkward line breaks; if

there are more, it can get difficult for the reader to find the beginning of

the next line.



For the main text of a report, a type size of 10 or 11 point is a good

starting size. Try 12 or 13 point ‘leading’ (inter-line spacing) – but if your

lines are more than 70 characters long, more leading might be needed. If

you are using two columns, your type size can be smaller, to correspond to

the shorter line length. You can therefore reduce the leading.

Do not be tempted to use a very large type size for continuous text to

fill out long lines with the 50–70 characters – you don’t have to make

your lines fill the page width. Research shows that type sizes between 9

and 11 point are most comfortable for sustained reading. However,

don’t rely on these figures – different typefaces may vary in visible

appearing size at the same ‘point’ size.

You should make trials with samples of your text, tuning the type size,

line length, and leading so that the text is comfortable to read, in the

circumstances in which it is likely to be read.

Typefaces have different proportions; some may have large x-heights

and therefore relatively short ascenders, as in the above example, which

shows Times New Roman.

The nominal type size (‘point’ size) is therefore not always a reliable guide

to appearing size. The example above shows four typefaces at 10 point.

Text alignment and hyphenation

Justified text

Justified text has straight left-hand and right-hand edges. Because

readers may be familiar with seeing justified text in books (and

newspapers), the assumption is that this gives a formal appearance to

text. It does not improve legibility, however, and it is difficult to achieve a

satisfactory result: for justified text to look good, words at line endings

may have to be hyphenated and the spaces between words controlled.

If you accept the default ‘hyphenation and justification’ (h & j) settings in

many page make-up programs, few or no hyphenation breaks are made,

and the system will often spread out the words on a line to fill a column, by

varying the width of word spaces and even by putting extra space between

letters, which ruins the evenness of the text. You should do some trials to

achieve good-looking text, allowing hyphenation, and controlling the

minimum and maximum word spaces. If possible, specify zero letter-

spacing. You should aim for an even appearance to each line of text.



Do not use justified setting for your letters, memos, and faxes.

Whatever the style of your letterhead, it is not worth making the text

justified, as the brevity of correspondence, often made up of short

paragraphs, does not sufficiently define a straight right-hand edge. More

importantly, some word-processing programs do not allow you to alter

the default settings for word spaces and hyphenation, which may result

in justified text with an uneven appearance.

Ranged left text

Ranged left (or ‘flush left’) text has a ragged right-hand edge. This is a

safer option than justified text and legibility is not impaired: it may even

be improved, since word spaces are kept constant. In page make-up

programs, if you have the hyphenation option switched off, very ragged

line endings may result, so you may want to accept some hyphenation.

Space between lines should appear greater than word space; this

preserves horizontal cohesion and assists the ‘flow’ of reading. In all DTP

programs, the default word space is usually large, but in page make-up

programs you can reduce the word space throughout. Word-processing

programs do not allow you to change these settings, so you may try to

compensate for this by increasing the leading: for 10 point type try 14,

15, and 16 point leading.



Ranged right and centred text

Your DTP program also offers you these other choices for text

alignment. They are both fine for short items such as titles but they

make longer passages of text difficult to read. Ranged right is useful for

captions to tables or graphs, and for side-headings appearing in the left-

hand margin.

Formatting bullets, text boxes and tables

Additional formatting, to add visual interest and help aid readability, can

be achieved in your document by changing the type of bullets used,

modifying the indenting/overhang of text, and by adjusting the spacing

between items.

The modest use of text boxes and borders can be to great effect,

particularly to focus on key information or to set some information apart

from the main body of text. You can modify the internal margins and

offsets, borders, colours and backgrounds when formatting borders and

text boxes for inclusion in your template.

Table styles can be added to your template if needed—start with a basic

table and adjust the cell spacing, borders and shading as appropriate.

You can also start with a pre-defined Word style and modify it to suit.



Using headers and footers

Headers and footers can be very simple, repeating the same information on

each page or just adding a running page number, but they can also be

more complex, allowing for different header information in different

sections of your document and for changing page numbering sequences.

They can also be used to anchor static document elements.

First page, odd/even, page numbering

Use a page break to force a second page in your template, so you can

see the first and subsequent page headers/footers and be able to edit

them.

You can use tabs to control the positioning and alignment of

header/footer text and page numbering. If you are using odd and even

page headers/footers in your documents remember to mirror the

positioning of the text and page numbering.

You can introduce and control different headers and footers by using

section breaks within your document. When editing them, adding or

removing section breaks, watch out for the 'same as previous' trap.

Embedding elements in headers/footers

Headers/footers can also be used as a place to anchor static document

information, such as Faculty or School names or details, or common

repeating elements like page borders, rules, banners or logos.

By putting these elements in the header/footer you are then not able to

accidentally change or misalign them while working on the main body of

the document.



Installing and using the template

Once you have your template in the shape you want it, you need to install it

on your computer so that you can easily access and use it when you need to.

Saving, installing and accessing the template

Once you have your template the way you want it, save it as .dotx (or

.dotm, if using interactive elements).

Save a copy to the 'Templates' folder (on your user profile) or in a

subfolder, if you have the appropriate permissions. Save a backup copy to

your computer hard drive.

To start using your template: Open Microsoft Word, select the Office

Button, then click on New, select 'My templates...', and then choose the

appropriate template from the list.

An easy to understand filename, or the inclusion of a 'preview' image when

saving the file, will make it easier to identify which template to choose.

Using the template

Import or paste the text into your new document and any related content

such as image files, charts and/or graphs. If you are having trouble with

formatting when loading the text, check the 'Pasting' options, under the

Advanced tab in Word Options.

Once the content is in your document you can then apply styles and format

elements as required.

Adjusting the document layout follows, refining the positioning of images

and other elements as appropriate and checking for any spacing and

indenting variations that are needed.

Lastly, review the section headings and page numbering and adjust them

as needed.

Updating the template

To include updates or modifications you can edit the original directly—use

right click/Open to open the template itself, rather than a copy.

You can also make style changes within a document based on the template

and then, when you save the changes, choose to have them updated in the

master template.

Alternatively, you can save changes within a document based on the

template and then overwrite the original template with this new version.



Templates and organisational standards

Correspondence to your customers or clients will influence their everyday

impression of your organisation. Desktop Publishing programs offer the

opportunity to make your letters and faxes appear typeset (not

typewritten) by the use of printers’ typefaces, you must make sure that

details of layout and text design are correspondingly professional. Even

internal memos are important in communicating information to your

colleagues clearly, so that business runs more smoothly.

As correspondence may be produced by many people within an

organisation, it is important that a standard style is set up, so that the

image of a coherent organisation is presented. You could set up a template

file for each kind of document you produce.

Factors that should remain constant are:

logo/s

information about your organisation

typeface

type size

leading

text area

colours

icons

With a template file, all employees can simply type in the new information

without worrying about the layout. This will benefit both you and your

readers: you save valuable time and your readers will be able to

concentrate on the content of your correspondence rather than being

diverted by unnecessary variety in its presentation.



Microsoft Publisher basics

Publisher is excellent for documents with complex formatting and/or

multiple pages, such as newsletters, brochures, flyers, websites,

resumes, reports, and handouts. The Publisher window contains many

parts that work together to make creating a document easy.

NOTE: This section provides an overview on how a desktop publishing

software looks like. Your organisation may require you to use a different

program.

Creating files

All publications begin with a template, even if it’s a blank template. The

trick is to find a template that looks like the vision you have for your

final publication. Publisher comes with built-in templates.

Click File > New, and do one of the following:

Choose one of the Featured templates, and click Create.

To use one of the templates installed in Publisher, choose Built-in, scroll

to click the category you want, choose a template, and click Create.

To find a template on Office.com, use the Search for online templates

box to find what you need. Enter “newsletter,” for example, scroll to a

template you like, and click Create.



Save files

Save your publication the first time by following these steps.

1. Click File > Save As.

2. In Save As, choose where you want to save your publication.

OneDrive is a free Microsoft service that provides password-

protected online file storage.

Other Web Locations includes websites you’ve used recently, and

a Browse button to save your publication to any website you have

access to.

Computer includes any folder on your computer.

Add a Place lets you add an online location to save your

publication.

3. Enter the name for your publication, and click Save.

After you’ve saved your publication once, you can simply click File >

Save each time you want to save.

If you want to change the file name or location of your publication, click

File > Save As, and save the publication as if you were saving for the

first time.

Add pictures to your file

1. Click Home > Pictures.

2. Use the options in the Insert Pictures dialog box to find the picture

you want to use.

Add text to your file

Add text to your publication by inserting a text box first. Most templates

contain text boxes you can fill in, but you can also add your own text boxes.

First: Add a text box

1. Click Home > Draw Text Box, and drag the cross shaped cursor to

draw a box where you want text.



2. Type text in the text box.

If the text you type is too long for the text box, you can make the text

box bigger, or link it to another text box.

Second: Link your text boxes

You can link text boxes so that text flows from one box to another.

1. When a text box has too much text, a little box with ellipses appears

in the lower right of the text box.

2. Create a new text box.

3. Click the overflow indicator and your cursor becomes a text box

linking pitcher, used to link text boxes.

4. Move to the new text box and click. The overflow text will show up in

the new text box.

Now as you add text, words flow from one text box to another. If you

run out of room in the second box you can link to another text box, and

the text will flow through all three boxes.



Save and reuse content in the Content Library

When you create branding for your business, you can store it and use it

again in subsequent publications. If you create logos, lists of services,

success stories, maps to a business location, testimonials, and pictures

that you plan to reuse in your future publications, add these items to the

Content Library.

Closing files and exiting Publisher

When you are done working with your document and would like to close

it, you have two options, depending on whether you want to continue

using Publisher. If you are finished using Publisher for now, be sure to

select the Exit command.

NOTE: If recent changes to the publication have not been saved, before

you can close the file or exit Publisher, a dialog box will ask if you want

to save changes to the document.

To close the saved publication and work on another publication:

From the File menu, select Close

In Publisher, open another publication or create a new publication

To close the saved publication and exit Publisher:

From the File menu, select Exit

If you have saved all recent changes to your document(s),

Publisher closes.

If you have not saved all recent changes to your document(s), a

dialog box appears asking if you want to save changes to the

document.

a. To save the publication, click YES

b. To close without saving, click NO



Section 3 Produce document

Organisational requirements

Document layout and design may be governed by the following

factors:

Company logo

Company colour scheme

Observing copyright legislation

Document storage and filing

Style guide and/or templates.

Your organisation will have procedures in place that determine whether

templates are used, the quality of paper used to produce specific

documents, the size and colour of envelopes used for certain letters and

correspondence, and whether or not email signatures may be used on

certain documents, or whether hand signatures are essential.

These guidelines and procedures may cover things you had never

thought of before.

Timelines

Designated timelines

Whatever document you have been asked to produce you will have most

probably been given a submission or completion deadline.

Designated time lines may include:

organisational time line e.g. financial requirements

time line agreed with internal/external client

time line agreed with supervisor/person requiring spreadsheet

Designated time lines may be:

by month end

monthly

within agreed period

within organisational deadline



General administration timelines can be met if you observe common

sense principles:

1. Determine when the task must be accomplished by you.

2. This becomes your end point on the timeline.

3. Calculate how long you have from the current date until the deadline

arrives.

4. Write down specifically what needs to be done by the deadline.

For example, determine exactly the data input needs that are drawn

from a range of sources either within your organisation or from external

providers.

1. Divide the goal into smaller logical steps.

2. Think about what individual actions you need to take in order to get to

the end result you defined.

3. Estimate how much time each step will take to complete. Use prior

experience or your knowledge of the amount of work involved in

processing the data.

4. Add up your time estimates to determine if the total time needed fits

within the actual amount of time you have left or what has been

determined as organisational requirements for speed and accuracy.

5. If not, adjust the time lengths for each step as necessary to fit the

timeline.

6. Monitor your progress on each smaller step and toward the end goal at

regular intervals. Make any adjustments to the timeline as necessary if

you fall behind or get ahead of the estimated due dates.

How can you best manage your time?

Documents such as memos often need to be completed immediately,

while other documents such as reports and newsletter articles will have

deadlines that you have to meet.

To prepare for these deadlines it is a good idea to make a time line. Your

timeline should include time for planning, writing, drafting, proofreading

and of course your completion date. You will need to estimate how long it

will take to finish each of these stages, and how much time you actually

have to complete the document. Place your timeline in a place where you

can see it, so you can easily keep track of how you are going, for example

set a reminder in your MS Outlook calendar or iCal.

A production schedule should be worked backwards from the deadline for

delivery, taking into account the schedules of other people involved, such

as suppliers and printers. Make certain you allow for several stages of

proofing, and remember to keep frequent back-up copies of your work.



Difficulties with using design applications

All applications with user documentation to enable the user to get as

much out of the product as they require. From basic functions used on a

daily basis to advanced presentation and formatting of documents, there

will be documentation explaining how to complete any action you need.

Manuals and user documentation

Tangible, hard copy user manuals are rapidly becoming a thing of the

past as the digital age is quickly taking over due to software being

replaced by updated versions seemingly no sooner than their

predecessors were launched, rendering the user guide almost obsolete.

It is also not as quick to find relevant information in a hard copy of a

manual as the human search engine does not work as fast as that of a

computer system. However, your organisation may still have a physical

copy of the user manual for the software with which you are working.

Online assistance

You will find endless technical support online that is just a click of a

mouse away. There are a plethora of websites that provide information

to answer every one of your questions however big or small.

Online help comes in many forms including:

User forums and blogs

Manufacturer forums

Frequently asked questions on manufacturer website

Live chat with employees of the manufacturer

Video tutorials

Manual downloads

How-to guides.

There is no harm in being stuck and encountering problems, but with so

much available information at your fingertips, there is no excuse for

staying stuck.

There are even direct links to online support incorporated into the

computer programme itself.





Section 4 Finalise document

Now you have produced your document you need to put the finishing

touches to it. No first draft of a document is ever perfect regardless of

how precise you are with your work. When you think it is completed,

you need to check through it.

Checking a document may include:

Accuracy of information

Consistency of layout

Ensuring instructions with regard to content and format have been

followed

Grammar

Proofreading

Spelling, electronically and manually.

Once you have checked all of these aspects of your document you may

need to make adjustments. Adjusting anything within your document,

such as the consistency of usage of terms, paragraph formatting, line

spacing, addition or resizing of images, and corrections to spellings and

grammar, and layout may well have a knock on effect to the rest of the

document.

You may find that minor alterations change the layout elsewhere in the

document. It is therefore important after you have made all your

adjustments that you check it through again from start to finish to

ensure there are no errors.

Proofreading

You should check the text of your document as often as possible. If you

have been working on a text for some time, it is a good idea to have

someone else proofread it, as you can easily overlook errors in a text

you are accustomed to.

When you have finalised the page-layout of a report, print out the pages

and stick them together so that they resemble the finished document.

Proofreading and editing involves reading over your work, looking for

errors and areas for improvement. If possible, you should ask a second

person – perhaps a work friend, secretary, spouse or supervisor to

proofread your writing and suggest changes. A second pair of eyes will

often find problems that you have missed yourself.



The following tips can help you when you are doing your own editing:

If possible leave sometime between your last draft and proofreading –

sometimes you need a ‘fresh eye’ to pick up mistakes and

improvements

Read each sentence out loud to check that they are all complete –

ensure that your writing ‘flows’ and is easy to read

Put yourself in the shoes of your reader – is the message clear? Have

you avoided using clumsy and tactless language?

Remove all unnecessary words or phrases – check for jargon or

inappropriate technical language

Review all punctuation, capitals and spelling (use a dictionary or a spell

check if you are not sure)

Recheck numbers in addresses and dates to make sure they are correct.

The following list is to check style:

Is the text correct?

Is spelling, punctuation, and use of the style guide consistent?

Don’t forget to check headings, captions, footnotes, text in

illustrations, running heads, contents lists, and indexes, as well

as the main text.

Have the correct headings been given for the text? And the correct

running heads?

Do the headings in the text match the headings given in the

contents list?

And are the page numbers in the contents list correct?

Is the numbering system for parts, chapters, sections, and

subsections consistent?

Is the content of the illustrations correct?

Are they the right size, the right way around, has the correct part

of the illustration been used?

Do the illustrations match the captions?

Is the numbering of illustrations correct?

Are the cross-references within the text and between text and

illustrations correct?

Are the page numbers in the index correct?



Naming and storing documents

Each organisation will have procedures and systems in place that

determine how and where documents are stored. Documents may be

stored as hard copies or digital files in specific filing systems; most

organisations will use a combination of both.

In large companies there may be a designated records co-ordinator in

each department, and a records retention schedule that lists all the

records held in each department, with a records manager who oversees

the entire information systems of the organisation.

Storage of documents may involve:

Storing files in designated locations

Storing data in the correct format

Password protection

Encryption

Security

Back-up schedules

Storing hard copies

File naming.

When storing documents you should consider the following points:

What is an appropriate file type?

Who has authorised access?

Appropriate filing location?

Where information is stored depends upon a number of things:

How often it is accessed

Who needs access to it

The security level with which it is classified

The physical form of the information

Who is responsible for managing it.

File names

File names are important for organising documents. Good file names

enable users to organise and locate the correct documents quickly and

easily.

File names should be identifiable in relation to the content:

‘September 2016 Update Newsletter’ as opposed to

‘New_Document’ or ‘September.’



Avoiding loss

There is nothing more frustrating than losing the important documents

that you've spent so much time creating. The only sure-fire way to

recover lost files is to restore them from a backup, and that is why it is

so important to have a system to prevent data loss.

1. Never store your documents on the same drive as your operating system

While most programs will save your files in the My Documents folder,

this is the worst place for them. Whether it is a virus or software failure,

majority of computer problems affect the operating system, most often

the only solution is to reformat the drive and reinstall the operating

system. In such an instance, everything on the drive will be lost.

Installing a second hard-drive in your computer can take care of this

problem. A second internal hard-drive will not be affected if the

operating system is corrupted, and it can even be installed in another

computer if you need to buy a new one; further, you'll be surprised at

how easy they are to set up.

Another excellent alternative is to buy an external hard-drive. An

external drive can be attached to any computer at any time simply by

plugging it into a USB or firewire port.

2. Back up your files regularly, no matter where they're stored

Create regular backups of your files, and let's face it, even your back up

is subject to failure: hard drives break, get corrupted, or erased.

Increase the odds of being able to retrieve a file by having a second or

multiple back-ups of it.

You can back work up to:

External hard drives

Data sticks

The Cloud

Email.

3. Beware of user error

We don't like to admit it, but we often engineer our own problems. Take

advantage of safeguards included in your application software, such as

versioning features and tracked changes. A common way users lose data

is when they're editing a document and accidentally delete portions --

after the document is saved, the portions that are changed or deleted

are lost unless you've enabled features that will store changes for you.



Printing documents

To print a document, your computer needs to be connected to a printer.

Small desktop printers are usually connected directly to a computer's

USB port. Older printers are connected to a parallel or “printer” port.

Some printers are directly connected to a network, making it easy for

multiple computers to share them. A few printers use a rare serial port

connection.

Print your file

1. Click File > Print.

2. Under Print, enter the number of copies to print in Copies of print job

box.

3. Make sure the correct printer is selected.

NOTE: The properties for your default printer are automatically

entered for you.

4. Under Settings, do the following:

Make sure the correct range of pages or sections is selected.

Select the layout format for printing.

Set the paper size.

Set whether to print on one side of the paper or on both sides.

If your printer is capable of colour printing, choose whether you

want to print colour or grayscale.

Click the Print button when you are ready to print.



Presenting your document

Objectives

The desired outcomes of any presentation should be discussed with the

audience prior to their attendance. It is important that they know and

understand why they are expected to attend the presentation and so

that they can determine what is in it for them.

You can do this by providing a set of outcomes that they are expected to

achieve from attending the session, or an outline of what they will walk

away with after they attend.

Some ways in which you can do this include:

Via telephone

Via email

Via postal mail

You will also need to let the participants know the outcomes of the

session at the beginning of the session.

During this time, you should talk to them about the following:

Your expectations

The ground rules

Their expectations

Timing – e.g. breakfast times, finish times etc.

Rules for questions etc.

Your expectations

You as a presenter should let them know what you expect from them

during the session. This minimises the chances for anything going wrong

as the participants are advised in advance of your expectations.

Their expectations

The participants should also have an opportunity to let the presenter

know what their expectations are, if time permits. This gives them an

opportunity to provide ownership and support for the presentation also.

Rules for questions

Some presenters are happy to take questions during the presentation,

and others prefer to keep them all to the end. You need to set the

boundaries from the beginning regarding questions.



Presentation aids

Presentation aids and materials should be used to support the

understanding of the participants. The learning styles of the participants

can directly relate to the type of material used, and ideally you should

use a combination of material that can enhance and adapt to each of the

learning styles.

Some of the material that you can use includes:

Visual aids such as posters, graphs etc.

PowerPoint slides

Flip charts

Handouts

Workbooks

Notes

DVD’s

Audio material

Actual samples of the material you are presenting

Consider how available these resources and materials are, how effective

they will be and how relevant they are to the presentation.

Sales resources will be a big help if you are trying to sell the participants

something, i.e. the actual product if possible. These include:

Photographs of the product

Printed material

Brochures

Models

Drawings

Data projector

A laptop

Demonstration models

You should ask yourself the following questions

Are the resources, aids and materials easy to transport?

Can they be set up in advance?

Will I need assistance in setting them up? If so, how available is the

assistance?

Will they create the impact I am trying to create or deter from the

presentation?

Note – as mentioned earlier, a resource or material is simply something

to help you with the delivery of the presentation. It should not be solely

relied on.



Ensure you have back up at all times too, as often technology can break

or something can inevitably go wrong. Don’t rely on just a PowerPoint

presentation for example, in case the laptop or data projector decide not

to work on the day of your presentation.

Anything that can go wrong usually does. Be prepared for

anything and you can tackle everything.

Persuasive communication techniques

“All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players they

have their exits and their entrances and one man in his time plays many

parts his acts being seven ages" - William Shakespeare

You are a presenter. You are acting out a character. Whether that is a

sales person, a technical expert, a teacher, a trainer or any combination

of the above, you are now officially on stage.

You need to be an excellent and persuasive communicator to be able to

get the point across to the participants, clients or prospects.

Communication techniques are made up of:

Non-verbal communication

This is made up of how we portray ourselves to others, the posture we

use when walking or talking, the gestures we use, our tone of voice and

our facial expressions. The combination of these is what gives others an

overall sense of who we are as presenters and whether or not they can

feel we can be trusted.

People will always believe what they see rather than what they hear.

55% of our message is delivered via body language

38% is in the tone of voice we use

7% is in the actual words

Non-verbal communication includes:

Eye contact – maintain good eye contact with the participants at all

times. Ensure you look at each of them equally and don’t stare too much

at one person. Sweep the room with your gaze.

Posture and the way you hold yourself – even if you don’t feel it,

act confidently, walk confidently, and stand confidently. Your posture

will say a lot about you. Don’t pace or sway, stand tall and be proud.

Facial expressions – some people cannot hide their feelings in their

facial expressions. Facial expressions should always be positive. You

should have a warm and sincere smile to draw the participants in and

show them you are genuine.



Dress – always dress like a professional. Your clothing should be clean,

comfortable and business like. Ladies should avoid heavy make-up or

too much jewellery and be conservative in their dress. Men should be

clean shaven / have trimmed beards and dress in business attire.

Good listening skills

Listening is the key to being able to present someone with a solution to

their problem. When you really listen to what the issue is, you will

understand how to present them with a solution based on the sales

techniques you will learn.

When you actively listen, you are building a genuine interest in the other

person. You pay attention and use appropriate body language to show

you are listening. People feel valued and understood.

You should then check for your own understanding by reflecting back on

what the person has said to you. Ensure you summarise what they are

saying to give them a sense that you hear them and understand them.

Building rapport with the audience

When you build rapport with the audience you are effectively showing

them trust and respect. This helps participants or prospects to openly

communicate with you. When you show a genuine interest in them, they

will see your intent to build rapport with them.

Knowing which questions to ask

A great sales person will always know the right questions to ask

someone. They will be conversant in using open questioning techniques

and also know when it is valid to use closed questioning.

Examples of good questions:

“What are your thoughts on…?”

“What has to happen for you to achieve…?”

“What goals do you have relating to…?”

“How will you feel when you know you get there?”

Summarise key concepts and ideas

During your opener, you would have told the participants ‘what you

are going to tell them’.

During the body and context of the presentation, ‘you told them’.

Now it’s time to tell them ‘what you have told them’.



Some ways in which you can do this include:

Summarise as you finish each chunk or segment of the presentation

Re-cap or revise half way through the presentation

When the presentation is finished

During the review or question / answer session

Look for and identify areas within your presentation where you can re-

cap or do some revision with the participants or prospects.

You want them to walk away feeling as though they got something out of

your presentation. If you rush through it, or they don’t understand what

you have presented, then you have wasted both your time and theirs.

Make the presentation memorable, interesting and informative. Check for

understanding by stopping every now and then and testing their knowledge

with short questions to ensure they are keeping up with your pace.

Finish strong. Show the participants that you had something valuable to

say and what they will achieve or how they will benefit now that they

have attended your session.

Continuous improvement

How can you improve your style and structure?

It is important that the information in your document is easy to read.

Documents that do not flow naturally, or contain awkward expressions

and phrases, are tiresome and confusing. The following information

provides you with some techniques you can use to make your document

easy to read.

Keeping it simple

You should always try to express yourself in the most simple and direct

way you can. Often, writers who are unsure of their subject matter will

try to disguise this by using flashy words or phrases such as

‘commenced operation’ or ‘optimum performance.’ Do not fall into this

trap because it is obvious to the reader, and can confuse your message.

Longwinded words or phrases should never be used if there is a simpler

alternative. Some common examples are listed below:

Longwinded phrase A more simple replacement

In regard to About

In the vicinity At

I must express my thanks Thank you

Due to the fact that Because

At the present writing Now



Keep your sentences simple and easy to understand.

The most common problem with sentences is that they can get long and

jumbled. For example:

In the workplace it is important that all safety procedures are adhered

to such as wearing protective clothing, walking only in marked areas so

that no accidents occur and no one is injured or productivity lost.

This sentence is difficult to read and even more difficult to understand.

If your sentences start getting long and clumsy, stop writing and read

them aloud to yourself. This will help you to see where you can break

them up into two or three shorter ones.

The clumsy sentence above for example can be re-written as three,

much clearer sentences:

In the workplace, it is important to follow all safety procedures. Some of

these procedures include wearing protective clothing and walking only in

marked areas. By following these procedures, you can reduce accidents,

and improve productivity.

What sort of language should you use?

When you speak, your tone of voice and body language has an effect on

the message you communicate. In the same way, the words you choose

when writing have a big effect on your reader. You need to be aware of

this and make sure that this effect is positive.

You should choose words that are positive and polite, and avoid

language that is tactless, discriminatory, or offensive.

In particular, you should try to avoid using sexist or gender-biased

language in your documents. You do not want to offend women in your

workplace by using language that ignores or insults them. Below are

some examples of gender-biased language and suggested words you

might use instead.

Gender biased word or phrase Replacement

Chairman Chairperson

Spokesman Spokesperson

Foreman Supervisor

Jargon is another thing you should avoid in your document. Jargon is a

word or expression that is developed and used within a particular group.

Jargon is usually not understood by anyone outside of this group.

You should also avoid using technical words if you are not sure that your

audience will understand them. The overuse of jargon and technical

terms will make your document difficult to read, and can be annoying

for your reader.



Sticking to the rules

There are common rules of grammar and punctuation you should use to

make your writing easier to read and understand. Some common

punctuation rules are described below:

Capitalisation

Always capitalise proper nouns. These include:

People’s names and titles e.g. Mel Gibson, the Prime Minister

Street names: e.g. Bakers St., Sunset Boulevard

Names of countries, states, regions, localities etc: e.g. Australia, India

Names of religious groups e.g. Catholics, Hindus, Muslims

Names of schools and colleges e.g. Mooroopna Secondary College,

Brisbane University

Trade names e.g. Coca Cola, Macintosh, Apple

Names of days and months (but not seasons) e.g. Saturday,

September, spring, winter.

Full stops

Full stops are used to signify the end of a sentence. Example: Work

team meetings will be held tomorrow.

They can also be used for abbreviations, for example: e.g. i.e. etc.

Question marks

Question marks should come at the end of a direct question.

Example: What time do you finish work?

Exclamation marks

Exclamation marks are used at the end of a statement expressing strong

feeling.

Example: Watch out for the hot water!

Commas

Commas are used to separate two or more ideas in the one sentence.

Example: There are a lot of applications to get through tomorrow, but

there will still be time for our sales team meeting.

A good way to determine where a comma should go is to read the

sentence aloud to yourself. Where you find yourself making a short

pause is probably where you should put a comma.

Commas are also used to separate a series of elements in a sentence.

Example: The colours for the new company logo are blue, green, and

white.



Assessment

Now you have finished this module we advise you to access the

BSBITU306 Short answers assessment. This can be found in the

Online Content and Assessments section of the AAMC Training Member

Area. Once you have completed this assessment, you will be immediately

advised of your competence via an automated email.

Once you are successful, we advise you to download and complete

written assessment BSBITU306 Assessment and ensure your

BSBITU306 Skills Signoff has been uploaded.

