General Guidelines for Writing in English

This document is designed to provide you with some guidelines for writing in English. If you plan
on working in an English-speaking country, it is important to follow these guidelines. Writing skills are
valuable for any job. If you are unable to communicate effectively, your employer will not view you as an
asset. It does not matter how brilliant your ideas are if you cannot convey them to others. Some
employers may have different preferences. What I write below is true for most businesses. I sometimes
clarify the correct approach in my parenthetical comments.

1. Indent paragraphs
2. Do not title paragraphs or sections such as introduction or conclusion (it is OK to title
appendices and figures)
3. Use fewer words whenever possible. The Goal is productive writing, not high quantity writing.
4. Do not write in list format unless the professor specifically says it is OK (this document does not
follow this rule)
5. Avoid random capitalization, italics, and bolding
6. Short sentences are fine. There is no prize for writing complicated sentences that are difficult to
follow. The opposite is true. Clear, concise writing is usually the most productive way to
communicate.

Avoid overly chatty phrases that convey little information. You are not writing a novel. You are
writing a limited space paper that should convey ideas. It is OK to use words more than once. Do not
simply use the thesaurus function to find synonyms. They are often not the correct words. I used convey
multiple times in this paragraph to convey the idea that it is OK to use the same word if it is the right
word. Remember the goal is productive writing, not quantity of words. Especially egregious examples:

1. Nowadays
2. Over the years
3. As years go by
4. In this day and age
5. More and more companies are doing X (provide some data and avoid sentences with little
content)

Avoid colloquial phrases and words. Slang may be acceptable at some firms. It is unlikely that it is
acceptable in class or in large firms. Be sure you are writing in the correct voice. Especially egregious
examples:

1. OK
2. A lot
3. Contractions in general

Avoid using buzzwords. Instead explain what you mean. Especially egregious examples:

1. Big Data allows 360-degree customer view. (this phrase is meaningless. Explain what Big Data
allows the firm to do in detail instead of simply saying a magic word.)
2. Using blockchain to enhance value (generally blockchain is not going to fix any problem. Instead
clearly state the problem blockchain might be able to solve and how blockchain might solve it.