Effective Writing: Presented BY Maj DN Wakaya

EFFECTIVE WRITING
PRESENTED
BY
Maj DN Wakaya
27-May-20 RESTRICTED 1
 “When your story is ready for rewrite,
cut it to the bone. Get rid of every
ounce of excess fat. This is going to
hurt; revising a story down to the bare
essentials is always a little like
murdering children, but it must be
done.”
Stephen King
 “The most valuable of all talents is that

of never using two words when one will
do.” – Thomas Jefferson
INTRODUCTION
Language has been described as a
purely human and non-instinctive
method of communicating ideas,
emotions and desires by means of a
system or voluntarily produced
symbols
The word system in this definition

calls for attention to the distinction
that exists between speech and
language-speech
INTRODUCTION
Language is an organized system of
means of communication employed by a
group or people who can understand each
other, while speech is an act of
expressing or describing thoughts,
feelings or perceptions by the
articulation of words, sounds and
gestures
INTRODUCTION CONT..
Although speech is often more
expressive than writing, there are
some advantages in writing that are
not shared by speech
The chief of these is the ease with

which it can be preserved and
reproduced, hence the need to take
more care with written language than
with spoken language
INTRODUCTION CONT..
Much of the work of a commander and

staff officer is concerned with written
communication, and it is therefore
essential that military officers are able
to produce precise and correct English
AIM
The aim of this presentation is
to provide a guide to effective
writing
SCOPE
 The lesson to cover:
- Purpose of writing
- Writing tasks
- Things to consider:
- Before
- When
- After writing
- Use of dictionary
- Choice of words
PURPOSE OF WRITING
 Writing is the making of meaningful letters
or points on a given media. There are
several reasons for writing communication
which are:-
- Impart knowledge.
- Express intentions (express the inner of
oneself).
- Convey orders and instructions.
- Persuade and convince by logical
argument.
- Record discussions and decisions.
ANALYZE OUR/YOUR
READER
 Askyourself?
- Who will read it?
- What is your reader's scope
of experience in this area?
- What reaction do you want your
reader to have?
ANALYZE OUR/YOUR
READER CONT..
A communication addressed to one

individual person will be different to
one that is written for a wider
audience
ANALYZE OUR/YOUR
READER CONT..
 The best way to make writing more
effective is to write as we talk
 Do not cheat your reader. He is

looking for ideas-for meaning-
when he reads your letter,
regulations, or directive
WRITING TASKS
 The writing tasks are areas of expression
through writing. These areas are:-
- Writing logical arguments.
- Writing about literature
- Writing an essay examination
- Writing on business which comprises
minting official letters.
- Speeches
- Stories
-
27-May-20 Composing - poems.
RESTRICTED 13
WRITING TASKS CONT..
 The above strategies of writing are
divided into three areas:
- Before writing
- When writing
- After writing
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE WRITING
 Think of an idea (or a subject) by the
following:
- Think about what you want to write
- Learn about what you want to write
- Ask yourself questions about your
subject
- Read much more again about your
subject
- Limit your subject by sticking to the
main idea
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE WRITING CONT..
 Pick the approach of writing that suits
your topic best. For instance:
- Description - i.e. providing an image
of something.
- Narration - i.e. telling a story?
- Exposition - i.e. explaining?
- Argument- i.e. maintaining a point of
view against the other (Opposite point
of view)?
TH1NGS TO CONSIDER
WHEN WRITING
 Consider your intended audience
- Write within a particular
community, situation.
- Keep the required tone.
- Write what you expect the
audience to know.
POINTS TO CONSIDER AFTER
WRITING (WHEN REVISING)
 Revising Ideas. Ask yourself the
following questions:-
- Clarity. Is the theme clear? That is
the essential thing you want to say
about your subject, clarity of ideas.
- Consistency. Does the paper speak
consistently to the same audience?
Consistency
POINTS TO CONSIDER
AFTER WRITING CONT..
 Sufficiency. Are there enough details to
support your major points? Sufficiency.
 Congruency .Docs the paper show
unity? Do all the ideas relate clearly to
each other? Congruency.
 Coherency. Is the paper coherent? Do
ideas flow logically and smoothly from
one to the other? - Coherency.
POINTS TO CONSIDER
 Accuracy Are the ideas stated is precise
language? Should any words be replaced by
accurate or appropriate ones. Accuracy of
words.
 Originality. Does each sentence state its
information clearly? Is there sentence
variation to hold the reader's interest? When
you read louder, do the sentences sound
right to the ear? Originality.
 Triviality. Are there unnecessary words that
can be eliminated?
WRITING CONT..
 Revising for essay structure.
- Does the introduction capture and
hold the reader's interests?
- Does the conclusion complete the
ideas established and supported in
the paper?
- Does the title engage the reader's
attention?
WRITING CONT..
 Revising correctiveness
- Are periods and other marks used to set
off complete statements?
- Are there any run - on sentences that
should be separated by end marks or
combines with connecting words and
suitable punctuations.
- Are there any sentence fragments that
can be corrected by Joining to other
sentences on by adding subjects or verbs,
or both?
POINTS TO CONSIDER
 Is there logic in the sentence? Do verbs
and subject agree?
 Are verbs, tenses correct?
 Is there emphasis, mood, voice, etc?
 Are punctuations properly used?
 Is spelling accurate?
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
WRITING
 Accuracy
 Brevity
 Clarity
 Relevance
 Logic
NOTES TAKING TECHNIQUES
 Using abbreviations e.g. Au for African

Union.
 Using symbols and signs e.g. & for US
Dollar
 Taking first part of the word e.g. VG for
very good
 Removing vowels e.g. STD for standard,
 Avoiding unnecessary words e.g. as is,
the etc.
USE OF THE DICTIONARY
 Spelling. Dictionaries record preferred
current spellings for word. When a
word has 2 or more spellings e.g.
"connexion, connection, the preferred
spelling is given first,
 Pronunciation. Dictionaries reprint
each word with indicating the location
of accents and the sounds of individual
special marks to letter.
CONT..
 Grammatical Information. For almost
every entry the 'part of speech"
(noun. verb, etc) is given.
 Word Origins, every dictionary
adequate for student use describes
using the abbreviations explained in
its introduction on Etymology, the
origins of words.
CONT..
 Usage. The mere fact that a word is
listed in the dictionary does not
mean that it is in good use or that
some of its special meanings are
acceptable in current English
 Definition.Most important of all, a

dictionary endeavours to define
words
CONT..
 Foreign words and Phrases. The Concise
oxford Dictionary gives, in italics, such
words as
- Ad infinitum -without limit, for ever (I)
- A la carte - by bill of fare(f)
- Gringo - Foreigner (Mcx. Sp)
SPELLING
Students invariably have trouble
with this aspect of English
expression
Often this is simply due to

carelessness, or because the habit
of using a dictionary has not been
properly cultivated
OFFICIALISE AND JARGON
 The many examples of officialise can be found in
Service writing. For one, read this:
"Weather is always present and, to a varying degree, is
a continuing factor in the conduct of any military
action. Its effects are so numerous and widely varied
that they can be properly evaluated only when treated
within their relationship to all other factors
contributing to the manner of conducting specific
operations. This becomes particularly manifest in the
application of weather forecasts to planned or
contemplated operations. Any operation therefore, the
conduct of which might be affected by weather
conditions. Demands a proper consideration of a
reliable forecast to cover the action, and appropriate
adjustments in plans necessitated by the weather”.
CONT..
 More readers would have understood
the main idea more quickly if the
writer had said:
“When you plan or contemplate a
military operation, consult a reliable
weather forecast”
Examples of officialise and
jargon are:
Jargon/Officialise English
The Committee gave further consideration to a The committee considered a
memorandum containing proposals with regard memorandum proposing
to ………………………that ……………….
Proposals under which service pay would be Proposals for reviewing service
brought under review……………. pay………….
The question as to whether …………….. The question ………………
Endeavour to commence ………….. Try to begin …………………..
Having regard to the fact that ………….. Because …………………..
It is of vital importance Usually this means ‘it is important’
Ceiling Limit
Sophisticated (weapons) Complex, complicated or modern
(weapons)
CONT..
 There are 7 rules which are worth the
most careful attention in avoiding
officialese. These are:
- Avoid abstract nouns where verbs
or adjectives can be used
- Use active rather than the passive
form of phrase
- Be careful about introductory
prepositional phrases
CONT..
 Use English words rather than foreign
words and short words than long,
 Refrain from elegant variation of
expression.
 Avoid round about working
 Beware of cliches; they may be
defensible for the purpose for which
they were originally devised, but are
often misapplied.
CHOICE OF WORDS
 Prefer the simple word, provided that
it conveys your meaning
 Prefer the concrete word to the
abstract
 Do not use several words where one
will do
 Prefer the short word, or words, to
the long
CHOICE OF WORDS
CONT..
 Use words which mean what you
mean
 Use word, what the reader will
understand
 Beware of over-worked words
 Avoid cliche's
CLARITY OF MEANING
The first essential of a good sentence
is that its meaning should be clear to
the listener or reader, one of the main
obstacles of effective communications
is ambiguity. Unintentional ambiguity
may mislead or it may simply cause
amusement where amusement is not
intended. As such it is to be avoided.
CLARITY OF MEANING
CONT..
 Uncertain Reference of Pronouns.
- 'Flight Lieutenant Essau told Flying
officer Adam, Davies that he had
passed the examinations. In this
sentence we are not certain whether
"he refers to the former or the latter
officer; corrected it reads: "Flight
Lieutenant Davis told Flying officer
Davies that he (Davies) had passed the
examination,
CLARITY OF MEANING
CONT..
 Faulty Punctuation.
- "I spoke to the principal. Nit
Lyons, Mr James and Nit Clarke.
"This implies that you spoke to 4
persons; corrected it reads: I spoke
to the principal (Nil Lyons), Mr James
and Mr Clarke.
CLARITY OF MEANING
CONT..
 Wrong placement of Adverbs.
- Words such as "only" and "even"
must be placed correctly in the sentence
and as near as possible to the words
they; modify For example, the adverb
only can be placed in 5 different
position's in the sentence." He read my
scheme.
CLARITY OF MEANING
CONT..
 Each placing results in an entirely
different meaning of the
sentence:
“He only read scheme: ie there was

no any other schemes. He read only
my scheme; ie there were other
schemes but he read only mine.
CONCISENESS
Remember that the best prose for
general use is always simple and
direct. The officer who has
something worth saying has no need
to inflate it to make it sound
worthwhile. You should therefore
avoid pretentious, verbose writing.
CONCISENESS CONT..
 Consider this sentence;
- 'He was dubious about the
accessibility of the peak of his
endeavour'. The adjective 'dubious' is
nowadays a pretentious substitute for
'doubtful' or unsure. ‘Accessibility is
both ugly and too abstract, endeavour'.
The sentence becomes more effective
and therefore better English when-
made more concrete.
CONCISENESS CONT..
 Try to rewrite the following sentences
in simple direct English:
- The achievement of our destination
found us confronted by a total absence
of accommodation,
- His facial characteristics manifested
an easily discerned affinity to his
mother. Instead of writing he sat on
the mat, taken to extremes
46 27-May-20 RESTRICTED
CONCLUSION
You must clarify at the outset
specifically what you wish to
accomplish. A writer should never over
look the fundamental purpose of all
writing, namely that of reproducing an
immediate and accurate reflection of
one’s own mental processes in the mind
of the reader. What is required is not
some kind of communication but
‘effective communication’.
CONCLUSION CONT..
If the transmission does not reproduce
an immediate and accurate reflection of
the writer’s own mental processes is the
mind of the reader, the attempt to
communicate is frustrated. Many writers
(including service officers) do not pay
sufficient attention to this indispensable
requirement. What we write must mean
to the reader exactly what we have in
mind.

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EFFECTIVE WRITING

 “The most valuable of all talents is that

The word system in this definition

The chief of these is the ease with

Much of the work of a commander and

A communication addressed to one

 Do not cheat your reader. He is

 Using abbreviations e.g. Au for African

 Definition.Most important of all, a

Often this is simply due to

“He only read scheme: ie there was

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