Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Todays presenter
Former daily newspaper reporter Editor, writer and PR professional Communications consultant Certified trainer business & non-profits B.A. Journalism M.A. English/Linguistics M.L.I.R. Employee Relations
Identify common mistakes Create highly readable writing Match format to purpose Visually enhance letters & memos
Know your AUDIENCE Banish Gremlins of GRAMMAR Choose right FORMAT Boost your READABILITY
Readable writing is reader-friendly. Bad writing taxes our mental energy. Its hard work to understand.
KEYS to READABILITY . . . .
Short, simple, familiar words Short, straight-forward sentences Simple sentence construction Inviting appearance/format
Very easy Fairly easy Standard Fairly difficult Difficult Very difficult
Jargon, acronyms Technical terms Abstract words of 3 or more syllables Overly long paragraphs
PUNCTUATION ERRORS
PUNCTUATION
A woman without her man is nothing. A woman, without her man, is nothing. A woman: without her, man is nothing.
Verb Abuse: singular or plural Problem Pronouns: I, me, they, them? Clause Confusion: That/ Which/ Who?
Examples:
The new teacher, and a man with a large sheepdog, (live, lives) next door to me. Either Tom or (he, him) is going to the game. Its time for Kristin and (I, me) to have a talk. The group of boys (which, that, who) set off the fire alarm will be punished.
COMPOSITION PROBLEMS
Sentences too long Excessive this is, there are or It is Too many passive verbs RESULT: dull, dull, dull
Typoglycemia
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheerarch taemat Cmabrigde Uinervtisy it deosnt mttear inwaht oredr ltteers are, but frist and lsat be in the rghit pclae.
Proofreading Tips . . . .
Use spell check and grammar check Slow down; print and review draft Read from bottom up, line by line Ask someone else to proofread it!
Marital / martial
Purpose of message
Length
Official record/document
Full-block Style Modified Block style Modified Block with indented paragraphs Simplified Style
Format variations
Full Block
All lines begin @ left margin Body is left justified; Dateline, closing and Signature block begin @ center
Modified block
First line of each new paragraph indented .5 inch All lines begin @ left All-caps subject line replaces salutation Closing line omitted All-caps signature block
Simplified block
Distinctions are disappearing Purpose is determiner Primarily for internal audience Use memo if document is a kept record
Both require Dateline, To, From and Subject Line Full block style with one space between paragraphs Professional Memo Template available from Microsoft Office 7; uses 10 point Arial font
Cautions:
Never go below 10 pt font size Avoid margins narrower than 1-inch Do not right-justify linesreduces readability Ragged right is always preferable in Block Style letters, memos See The Gregg Reference Manual for additional information and advice
Never use two words when one will do. Choose short, simple words of one or two syllables. Strive for average sentence length of 15 words. Choose strong, active verbs to bring life to your writing.
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Secrets, contd.
Use personal pronouns like you, we and their. Support your key points with data Lists, bullets, paragraph breaks, proper nouns and data improve readability. Keep dictionary and grammar guide handy
Secrets, contd.
Keep a dictionary and grammar guide handy. Write to EXPRESS, not to impress! Good writing gets results!
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