DRAFTING A VIRTUAL MESSAGE

Message Writing:

With mobile virtually in every hand, be it a student of secondary or higher secondary standard or a housewife, writing message seems a remote possibility. But this was a situation a few years ago. The excessive use of mobile and basic phones has brought forth the inconvenience caused by these otherwise quite useful devices, that, their use has been banned at many places like schools, offices, hospitals and many other places, where they are considered more of a disturbing instrument than a convenience to the user.
Although members of a family, classmates, colleagues, bosses, employees have to write scores of messages for others. Thus, learning to write a short and clear message is a very important writing skill to be mastered. Most often the input for a message comes in the form of a telephonic conversation between two people. The virtual conversation conveyed in the conversation is to be converted into a message for a third person. Whereas, sometimes, standard instructions contain the necessary information for the message. Such messages are written on small pieces of papers called memo-slips. Basically such messages contain the following:

Format :
• Date
• Time
• Name of a person to whom the message is directed
• Body of the message
• Name of the writer / sender

Points to remember :

While writing the body of the message, the following points have to be kept in

mind.

• Only the most important details should be written.

• No new information should be added.

• Grammatically correct sentences should be used.

• Indirect or reported speech should be used.

• The message should be written in simple language and without any abbreviations.

• Check your message before you submit and send it.

• Be friendly and polite.

• Avoid pun/ambiguity/witticism, in short words that would create confusion or a

Chaotic situation.

Example:

You receive a telephone call from your mother’s office when she is not at home. You have the following conversation with the speaker. But you have to go for your tuition class. So you leave a message for your mother. Write the message within 50 words using the information given below. Do not add any new information.