Effective Writing

Don't write merely to be understood. Write so

that you cannot possibly be misunderstood.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
Scottish essayist, novelist and poet
Five Ways to Make Your Writing
Easier to Read
1. Use words that are accurate,
appropriate, and familiar
 Use words that are:
• Accurate

• Appropriate

• Familiar
Appropriate Connotations
Positive Negative
Assume Guess
Curious Nosy
Cautious Fearful
Firm Obstinate
Flexible Wishy washy
 Familiar Words
Formal & Stuffy Short & Simple
• Ameliorate • Improve
• Commence • Begin
• Enumerate • List
• Finalize • Finish, complete
• Prioritize • Rank
• Utilize • Use
• Viable option • Choice
2. Use Technical jargon sparingly;
eliminate Business jargon
 Getting Rid of Business Jargon
What you write What should be Reason
At your earliest The date you need a
convenience response
As per your request As you requested Per: by or for each

Enclosed please find Enclosed is Its not a treasure

Forward same to this Return it to… Omit. Legal Jargon
office
Hereto, herewith Omit if using in non- Legal
legal correspondence
Please be advised; Omit. Simply start You don’t need a
Please be informed preface
 Getting Rid of Business Jargon
What you write What should be Reason
Please do not Omit Negative
hesitate

Said order Your order Legal

This will Omit. Just start your If you answer, the
acknowledge receipt letter reader will know you
of your letter got it
Trusting this is Omit Eliminate ing
satisfactory, we endings. When you
remain are through, stop
3. Use active verbs most of the
time
Active Passive
• The operations manager • The request was approved
approved the request by the operations manager

• The committee will decide • The decision will be made

next month next month

• I conducted the training • The training was conducted

last month by me last month
 When to use passive voice
• To emphasize the action rather than the actor
After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by the long-
range planning committee
• To be tactful by not naming the actor
The procedures were somehow misinterpreted.
• To describe a condition in which the actor is unknown or
unimportant
Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed as having
Hepatitis
• To create an authoritative tone
Visitors are not allowed after 9:00 p.m.
4. Use verbs -not nouns- to make
your sentence concise but
focused
 Avoid using vague, all-purpose
nouns
factor, aspect, area, situation, consideration, degree,
case . . .

• Consumer demand is rising in the area of

services.
• Consumer demand for services is rising.
• Consumers are demanding more services.
Weak: The financial advantage of owning this
equipment rather than leasing it is 10% after
taxes.

Better: Owning this equipment rather than

leasing it will save us 10% after taxes
Nouns ending in –ment, -ion, and –al often
hide verbs:
• Make an adjustment ---- Adjust
• Make a decision ----- decide
• Reach a conclusion ------ conclude
• Take into consideration ----- consider
• Make a referral ----- refer
• Provide assistance ----- assist
 Try This
• We will perform an investigation of the
problem

• The committee will make a decision next week

5. Tighten your writing
 Eliminate Words that say Nothing
• Quite, Really, Very – Cut Them

Redundant
• A period of three months
• During the course of the negotiations
• During the year 2004
• Maximum possible
• Past experience
• Plan in advance
 Eliminate Words that say Nothing
• Refer back
• The color blue
• True facts
 Substitute a single word for these:

• the present time: Now

• Due to the fact that :
• In the event that:
• In the near future:
• Prior to the start of:
• On a regular basis:
 Avoid these expressions
To be Avoided Preferable
• This is to acknowledge • Thank you for writing..
receipt of your letter

• Thank you in advance • Do not use. It is

presumptuous to thank a
person in advance. “I would
appreciate any courtesies
you can extend”

• Due to the fact that…. • As, Because, Since

 Avoid these expressions
To be Avoided Preferable
• In the event that….. • In case or If
• I wish to take this • Thank you for….
opportunity to thank you
for……
 Now Try This
• Keep this information on file for future reference
• The question of most importance
• The estimate which is enclosed
• There are three reasons for the success of the
project
• It is the case that college graduates advance more
quickly in the company
 Improve this
The reason we are recommending the
computerization of this process is because it
will reduce the time required to obtain data
and will give us more accurate data
Better: We are recommending the
Tight: Computerizing the process will give us
computerization of this process because it will
more accurate data in less time
save time and give us more accurate data
Remember!

What is written without effort is in

general read without pleasure.
Samuel Johnson
Emailing
 Rules to Follow When Emailing
• NEVER TYPE IN ALL CAPS.
• Reply within maximum 48 hours
• Be wary of any kind of attachment
• ATTACH before filling in the TO field
• Use BCC instead of CC to keep other email addresses
private
• Context is important
• Put yourself in place of reader
• When to Reply All?
 Rules to Follow
• Triple-check – Don’t sent to irrelevant persons
• Clear subject line (Sub- Re: FWD: Re: FWD )
• ALWAYS Use spell checker and re-read
• Check Snopes before forwarding info that sounds too
good to be true
• Never send emails when you’re angry
• Remember that when you send something
electronically, it has the potential of “living” forever
THANK YOU