DOCUMENTS AT WORK • NO.

Style & Grammar

G ood writing is more than just
a collection of facts. Good
writing conveys meaning and
personality.
Proper grammar helps the reader
grasp the meaning. Poor grammar
can suggest the writer is careless
and even unprofessional. So reach
for a grammar book as you would
a dictionary.
“Style is the dress Style, though harder to define, is
equally important. It is like a
writer’s signature – personal, indi-
of thought.” vidual and unmistakable. Style
can convey authority, warmth,
urgency, humor and other qualities
that can strengthen the message
and the connection between writer
and reader.
Because languages are living
systems, both style and grammar
continue to evolve. So this article
offers advice, rather than a set of
rules. The goal is to help you write
better and more effectively and
to use your own “voice” in your
writing.

Samuel Wesley
 Page 2 • Style & Grammar
Style
• Be candid and straightforward,
but don’t talk down to your
readers. Focus on their needs.
• Write as you would normally talk.
Be informal, but not too casual.
• Be concise. Use as few words as
you can to say what you mean.
• Use the active voice. Please reply
is more direct than A reply is
needed.
• Some years ago, it was considered
incorrect to start a sentence with
but or and. But today’s more flexi-
ble approach accepts this style.
• It’s a good idea to remember that
every document you write is a
reflection of both you and Xerox.
Numbers & dates
• Use words for one to nine and
then numerals for 10 and higher.
• Sometimes clarity requires an
exception. Thirty-six 35mm slides
is better than 36 35mm slides.
• If you want to compare numbers,
stick to numerals – they stand out
better. For example, We tried 8
widgets but found we needed 14
to make it work.
• Dates are written differently
around the world. For example,
06/07/01 can mean June 7, 2001;
July 6, 2001; or July 1, 2006.
Know your audience and, where
possible, name the month.
Write as you’d talk
Don’t forget. . .
Things are different from…,
rather than different to… or
different than.
None is a singular word, so it
requires a singular verb – for
example, none of the crew was
hurt, instead of none of the crew
were hurt.
Avoid splitting infinitives
wherever possible. The truth is,
Captain Kirk should have said
his mission was “boldly to go,”
or even “to go boldly.” But that’s
another story.
Jargon is an effective short cut,
as long as the readers know the
meaning. If they don’t, then jargon
becomes a barrier to communi-
cation.
Use abbreviations or acronyms
only if you know all your readers
will understand them. If not, avoid
using them.
The troublesome
apostrophe
For such a tiny piece of punctu-
ation, the apostrophe causes
enormous trouble.
It is used to indicate where a letter
has been left out:
• For example it’s (it is), I’m (I am),
don’t (do not).
The apostrophe also shows
possession:
• Single owner – The apostrophe
goes before the s, as in the case of
the company’s image or the man’s
children.
• More than one owner – The
apostrophe goes after the s, as in
old wives’ tale or two days’ rent.
• Collective nouns – Where the
subject itself is plural, such as
children’s, people’s or women’s,
the apostrophe goes before the s.
• Possessive pronouns – Words
like hers and its do not have
apostrophes. The dog lost its bowl,
so it’s time to buy a new one.
Tautology & extra
prepositions
Avoid using words that say the
same thing twice (tautology), such
as join together, still remain and
mutual cooperation.
Also avoid using prepositions that
add nothing to the meaning of a
verb, such as connect up, start off
and refer back.
 Xerox • Documents at Work • Page 3

Gender
Writing in a gender-neutral way
can be a challenge. The pronoun
one is old-fashioned. He/she is
clumsy. And no one likes being
referred to as it! But there are a
few ways around the problem.
• Use person or staff member
instead of man or woman.
• Shift the gender away from the
noun – as in, She chaired the
committee, instead of She was
chairperson of the committee.
• Consider the word you – it sounds
more personal.
A moment’s thought may help
you say what you want without
offending anyone.
Avoid ambiguity
Ambiguity can be hard to
recognize in our own documents –
so always check them.
It’s usually the sequence of words
and loose pronouns that cause the
problem. Having crashed they
restarted the computer.
Make sure that the right words
are next to each other. Whoever
wrote Complaints must be made
about permits for the shipment
of DocuTechs overseas by mail
probably didn’t mean that.
Scratch those capitals
Capital letters
We tend to use upper-case letters
too often, which can result in
incorrect use and awkward text.
Here are some guidelines:
• Use capitals for proper nouns
such as people, places or company
names – for example, General
Motors, Central Intelligence
Agency and Coca-Cola.
• Use capitals for brand, project
and legal names – for example,
the Social Security Act and
Document Systems.
• Terms such as year-end forecast or
return on assets do not require
capitals.
• For headings and titles, use capi-
tals sparingly. If too many words
start with a capital, the important
words lose much of their impact.
Let size, weight and position give
prominence to a heading.
THE BUSINESS NEEDS OF
THE DOCUMENT COMPANY ✘

Avoid these traps The Business Needs of

Double negatives
Double past tenses
The Document Company ✘
I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t go. ✘
The business needs of
I wouldn’t be surprised if it stopped. ✔
The Document Company ✔
I would have liked to have ended it. ✘
I would have liked to end it. ✔

Double passive tenses It is planned to have her nominated. ✘

The plan is to nominate her. ✔

Repetition in one statement The reason is because there are… ✘

Because there are… ✔

Certain phrases It should be understood that… ✘

The fact of the matter is… ✘
What can only be described as… ✘
With the result that… ✘
Page 4 • Style & Grammar

Words, words, words

Spelling – There are some words that we all stumble Then there are the pairs of words that don’t sound
over from time to time: alike but we constantly struggle with anyway:
accommodate fulfill parallel Imply means to hint, while infer means to deduce.
allege implement questionnaire
He implied and I inferred.
calendar independent separate
compatibility liaison succeed Strategy is a broad policy. Tactics are short-term plans.
embarrass occasion supersede
Good strategy requires multiple tactics.
forfeit overrated supplement
Fewer refers to things which can be counted, whereas
And there is commitment. Just add m’s and t’s until it
less refers to things which cannot be counted.
looks right – or better yet, don’t make any!
Fewer dollars means less money.
Sound-alikes – There are many pairs of similar sound-
ing words that are easy to confuse. Some even have
similar meanings, proving you can’t rely on a spell-
checker to pick them up.
affect (to influence) . . . . . . . effect (result or to cause)
adverse (unfavorable). . . . . averse (opposed)
QuickCheck
■ Clarify the message before you start to write.
compliment (admire) . . . . . complement (balance)
■ Introduce the subject early, and state why you are
continual (ongoing) . . . . . . continuous (non-stop)
writing.
economic (business-like) . . economical (thrifty)
■ Cover all the points in a logical order.
principal (chief) . . . . . . . . . . principle (rule)
■ Check for proper grammar.
stationary (immobile). . . . . stationery (paper)
■ Make sure it is easy to read and follow.
■ Check whether the style is right for your audience.
■ Double-check to see if the desired action is clear.
■ Make sure that, if it were sent to you, you would want
to read it and you would understand it.

Further reading Further information Further copies

The Careful Writer by Bernstein
The Elements of Grammar by Shertzer
Simple and Direct by Barzun
Other related articles in the Documents at
Work series cover letters and memos,
reports, and design.
For further information or ideas for future
topics please contact:
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David Jones at Marlow 8*666-3724.
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