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Note-Taking: 
Simplifying Language
How to Simplify Language 
1. Write down only key words and phrases. 
e.g. Many wealthy people avoid paying taxes in their 
own country by opening a Swiss bank account. 
However, the Swiss government is under a lot of 
international pressure to change its banking laws 
because of the global banking crisis.
Identify the key words and phrases in 
the following: 
a. Swiss president Hans-Rudolf Merz said Swiss banks would 
cooperate with the international community to fight the tax 
cheats, but any help would only be on a case-by-case basis. 
president, Hans-Rudolf Merz, cooperate, international 
community, fight, tax cheats, help, case-by-case basis 
b. They would only help where foreign governments can prove 
bank customers are breaking the law. 
help, foreign governments, prove, customers, 
breaking the law
How to Simplify Language 
2. Use common symbols.
Reference: Hampton, M. (2010). Helpful abbreviations for speedy note-taking. Retrieved from 
http://www.port.ac.uk/media/contacts-and-departments/student-support-services/ask/downloads/Helpful-abbreviations- 
for-speedy-note-taking.pdf
Simplify the following using key words 
and symbols. 
a. Profit equals revenue minus costs. 
Profit = revenue ¨C costs 
b. The costs increased. Therefore, the profit 
decreased. 
Costs ¡ü ¡à profit¡ý 
c. A decrease in sales can possibly lead to redundancy. 
¡ý sales ? ¡ú redundancy
Money Symbols and Codes
How to Simplify Language 
3. Write numbers. 
e.g. 4, not ¡®four¡¯ 
39, not ¡®thirty-nine¡¯ 
678, not ¡®six hundred seventy-eight¡¯
Simplify the following using symbols, 
codes, and numbers. 
a. Ten tellers and two managers per branch 
10 tellers & 2 managers / branch 
b. Balance less than two hundred dollars 
Balance < $200 
c. One euro is approximately equal to one hundred fifty 
Japanese yen. 
1 EUR ¡Ö 150 JPY
How to Simplify Language 
4. Use common abbreviations.
Reference: University of Greenwich. (n.d.). Note-making - symbols and abbreviations. Retrieved from http://www2.gre.ac.uk/
Abbreviations for Time, Days of the Week, and Months of the Year
Simplify the following using key words, 
symbols, and abbreviations. 
a. Note: The department meeting is scheduled this Friday at 
nine in the morning. 
N.B. Dept. meeting Fri 9 a.m. 
b. Mr. Morgan¡¯s check for three thousand euros, which was 
dated June sixteenth, was bounced by the bank. 
Mr. Morgan check €3k Jun 16 bounced 
c. In regard to personal loans, the maximum repayment term is 
48 months. 
Re personal loans max repayment term = 48 mos
How to Simplify Language 
5. Invent personal abbreviations where no 
common convention exists. 
*Two abbreviation techniques: 
a. Use the first few letters of the word ¨C just enough to remember what 
the abbreviation stands for. 
e.g. conc for ¡®conclusion¡¯ 
eval for ¡®evaluation¡¯ 
qual for ¡®quality¡¯ 
b. Remove all (or most of) the vowels from the word and use just key 
consonants bunched together. 
e.g. mngmt for ¡®management¡¯ 
mkt for ¡®market¡¯ (and mkting for ¡®marketing¡¯)
Make your own abbreviations for 
the following: 
a. customer 
b. transaction 
c. payment 
d. development 
e. terms and conditions
Re personal abbreviations 
a. Don¡¯t invent too many. 
b. Use them consistently.
HOMEWORK 
Do these tasks in your notebooks: 
1. Take notes on the article India Opens Bank for 
Women. 
2. List 10 or more symbols, codes, and abbreviations 
that you commonly use for banking expressions 
relevant to your work duties. (e.g. a/c for ¡®account¡¯) 
Bring your notebooks next lesson so the teacher can 
check your work.

More Related Content

Simplifying Language When Taking Notes

  • 2. How to Simplify Language 1. Write down only key words and phrases. e.g. Many wealthy people avoid paying taxes in their own country by opening a Swiss bank account. However, the Swiss government is under a lot of international pressure to change its banking laws because of the global banking crisis.
  • 3. Identify the key words and phrases in the following: a. Swiss president Hans-Rudolf Merz said Swiss banks would cooperate with the international community to fight the tax cheats, but any help would only be on a case-by-case basis. president, Hans-Rudolf Merz, cooperate, international community, fight, tax cheats, help, case-by-case basis b. They would only help where foreign governments can prove bank customers are breaking the law. help, foreign governments, prove, customers, breaking the law
  • 4. How to Simplify Language 2. Use common symbols.
  • 5. Reference: Hampton, M. (2010). Helpful abbreviations for speedy note-taking. Retrieved from http://www.port.ac.uk/media/contacts-and-departments/student-support-services/ask/downloads/Helpful-abbreviations- for-speedy-note-taking.pdf
  • 6. Simplify the following using key words and symbols. a. Profit equals revenue minus costs. Profit = revenue ¨C costs b. The costs increased. Therefore, the profit decreased. Costs ¡ü ¡à profit¡ý c. A decrease in sales can possibly lead to redundancy. ¡ý sales ? ¡ú redundancy
  • 8. How to Simplify Language 3. Write numbers. e.g. 4, not ¡®four¡¯ 39, not ¡®thirty-nine¡¯ 678, not ¡®six hundred seventy-eight¡¯
  • 9. Simplify the following using symbols, codes, and numbers. a. Ten tellers and two managers per branch 10 tellers & 2 managers / branch b. Balance less than two hundred dollars Balance < $200 c. One euro is approximately equal to one hundred fifty Japanese yen. 1 EUR ¡Ö 150 JPY
  • 10. How to Simplify Language 4. Use common abbreviations.
  • 11. Reference: University of Greenwich. (n.d.). Note-making - symbols and abbreviations. Retrieved from http://www2.gre.ac.uk/
  • 12. Abbreviations for Time, Days of the Week, and Months of the Year
  • 13. Simplify the following using key words, symbols, and abbreviations. a. Note: The department meeting is scheduled this Friday at nine in the morning. N.B. Dept. meeting Fri 9 a.m. b. Mr. Morgan¡¯s check for three thousand euros, which was dated June sixteenth, was bounced by the bank. Mr. Morgan check €3k Jun 16 bounced c. In regard to personal loans, the maximum repayment term is 48 months. Re personal loans max repayment term = 48 mos
  • 14. How to Simplify Language 5. Invent personal abbreviations where no common convention exists. *Two abbreviation techniques: a. Use the first few letters of the word ¨C just enough to remember what the abbreviation stands for. e.g. conc for ¡®conclusion¡¯ eval for ¡®evaluation¡¯ qual for ¡®quality¡¯ b. Remove all (or most of) the vowels from the word and use just key consonants bunched together. e.g. mngmt for ¡®management¡¯ mkt for ¡®market¡¯ (and mkting for ¡®marketing¡¯)
  • 15. Make your own abbreviations for the following: a. customer b. transaction c. payment d. development e. terms and conditions
  • 16. Re personal abbreviations a. Don¡¯t invent too many. b. Use them consistently.
  • 17. HOMEWORK Do these tasks in your notebooks: 1. Take notes on the article India Opens Bank for Women. 2. List 10 or more symbols, codes, and abbreviations that you commonly use for banking expressions relevant to your work duties. (e.g. a/c for ¡®account¡¯) Bring your notebooks next lesson so the teacher can check your work.