Writing skills
- 2. Basics • Good writing is writing that works - It is clear at first reading - It demands no further explanation - Always a result of hard work: there is no help from tone or gesture; with the force of your personality • Anything we write must act on our behalf • Words on paper can be fixed and unchangeable - The written word can have an objectivity that can be threatening
- 3. Basics • “I do not know what to include or what to leave out.” • This problem usually arises because: - We have not thought clearly about the message we want to send - We are not thinking about the reader; only the information we want to put down - We may be more concerned about what will look impressive - We may not be able to concentrate on the job in hand • The result of all this is: - muddled thinking; a muddled structure; language that goes out of control.
- 4. Basics • Two golden rules to bear in mind: - Think of the reader (all writing should focus on the reader before the material is included) - Separate thinking from writing ( put thoughts in order before beginning, and take time afterwards to think about what was written) • “I know what I want to say, but I can’t put it down” - Write as you speak - Your text can be improved later • We must allow time to prepare, and time to check: that way our text will be right the first time the reader sees it.
- 5. Basics • A systematic approach to writing has three basic stages: - Preparation and planning - Writing - Checking
- 6. Preparation • Ask a series of basic questions: What, When, Where, Why, Who, How • What is the purpose of the document • Never write without a reader in mind • Take responsibility for the writing • Location, to write with few distractions • Establish clear guidelines • Write when mind is the clearest • Gather material, compile and fit
- 7. Writing • Produce first draft: - Don’t think hard; try to let the words flow on to the page • Write fast, stick to plan • Write as you speak
- 8. Checking • Good writing comes from re-writing: - Analyze thoroughly what we have written and create a test that is correct, clear and appropriate – for our purpose and the reader • Develop skill to read own writing, critically, as if someone else has written it • Try to allow some time between finishing the draft and beginning check - The longer the better; provides objectivity • No final version; endless process limited by time; however don’t lose the original thoughts by too many corrections • A systematic approach will help
- 9. A 10 point writing plan • Rewriting is often a matter of changing lots of little things than a few big ones: - Paragraphs - Long sentences - Subject & verb - Sentence landscape - Passive and active verbs - Adjectives and Adverbs - Accuracy - Brevity - Clarity - Spelling and punctuation
- 10. Paragraphs • They may have more than one sentence, however only one theme • Each page of the document must have more than 2 paragraphs; the more the better • Break long paragraphs into shorter sections using sub- headings, numbers or lists – be consistent in layout • Open each paragraph with a short, summarizing topic sentence – possible to take the gist and speed read the rest • Use link words and phrases to guide the reader between one paragraph and the next: e.g. however …, moreover….’ as a result…., in addition…., in contrast…., and so on
- 11. Long sentences • A sentence is a group of words that make sense by itself – begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. • Short sentences are easier to read – a sentence of more than 25 words will probably not be understood at first reading • Sentences tend to grow out of control because we try to cram too many ideas into them – separate thought from writing • Use shortest sentences in the most prominent position – bigger the idea, shorter the sentence to express it • Search long sentences. Rewrite it: list the ideas; use separate sentence to each idea; connect into prose, use link words; check language of rewritten text
- 12. Subject & Verb • Every sentence must have a subject (noun). • It must have a main verb, which describes what the subject is or does • The verb must agree with the subject (singular or plural) • And, it must be finite, having tense (past, present, future) • If in doubt ask: - What do you want the sentence to be about? Put this at the beginning as a subject. - What is the subject doing? Put this second - Put nothing between the subject and the verb • Now rewrite the sentence from here.
- 13. Sentence Landscape • We normally don’t read one word at a time • Eye scans in groups of about five words, searching through the sentence for the full stop which tells it to pause. • Put most important matter in the beginning and end of a sentence where the attention is the greatest – ideas buried in the middle will get lost. • Try to break long sentences into manageable ‘chunks’ of 5 to 10 words.
- 14. Passive & Active verbs • Beware of writing impersonally: e.g. Passive: Arrangements have been made …. Active: I have made arrangements ….. Passive: Measurements have been taken …. Active: The team took measurements ….. • Passive voice lacks the personal tone, the mark of good personal relations - Can fail to allocate responsibility for action taken
- 15. Adjectives & Adverbs • Adjectives describes nouns – quick, yellow, round,etc. • Adverbs describe verbs – quickly, brightly, early, etc. - sometimes describe adjectives – quite fast, rather hot • Go through text, identify adjectives and adverbs - Take them out and see what are absolutely necessary
- 16. Accuracy • Use the right word for the right job -- synonyms • Use jargon in its rightful place: - between experts - or give an explanation
- 17. Brevity • Use short words rather than long ones • Eliminate meaningless cliches – as such, by and large, needless to say, etc. • Watch out for toutology: Why say the same thing twice? e.g. enclosed herewith, the true facts are, he declined to accept the offer
- 18. Clarity • Remember, we are not there to explain what we have written - the text must leave no room for ambiguity • Vague phrases can arouse suspicion – in the region of; in the area of; around about - are we covering up something unpleasant, or hiding our ignorance? • Big threat to clarity are abstract nouns – can be replaced by the verbs from which they derive. e.g. 1. There are regulations for the avoidance of accidents; replace by: The rules help us avoid accidents 2. Your entitlement to a refund is unaffected; replace by: You are entitled to a refund
- 19. Spelling • Spelling matters, contributes to our public and professional image • There are ways of improving – if you are determined • Think before you write. Clear thoughts make for clear writing • Use the simpler, shorter word rather than the longer, complicated one. Always. • Don’t use any words unfamiliar to you – more likely to spell correctly words familiar to you • Make a point of looking up new words in a dictionary and becoming acquainted with them. • If in doubt: write it down quickly – first guess are often correct; dictionary on WP not adequate; spell checker cannot distinguish between ‘there’ and ‘their’
- 20. Punctuation • Punctuations do for the written word what gesture, pausing and tone of voice do for speech. - It signals to the reader how to read the passage • Keep it simple – the less punctuations the better • Read your text aloud, checking that the punctuation does what it should. - Remove any unnecessary punctuation; add only when you are convinced you should • Never use any punctuation without being sure of its use • Check the finer points of punctuation in a guide to usage
- 21. Letter Writing • A letter is a piece of conversation by post: - It expresses a relationship: between friends, colleagues, strangers - The nature of the relationship dictates the nature of the letter • A business letter is: precise, straightforward, relevant to reader’s needs and action oriented • It shows respect for the reader and points the way ahead – clearly saying what happens next. • Preparation: time spent now, before putting pen to paper, is time saved later – both for the writer and the reader
- 22. Letter Writing • The letter purpose: - To sell or persuade - To make an enquiry - To answer a question - To complain - To answer a complaint - To get something done - To create a good impression of you and the organization • If there is more than one purpose, pick the most important and stick to it • A letter which tries to do too much will fail to do anything • Every letter is a free advertisement
- 23. Reader • What we put in and leave out will depend on our relationship with our reader • Exact name! Find out • Right person? Take action • Needs and wants • Situation story and history • Knowledge about subject matter • Letter has more than one reader?
- 24. Who? When? Where? • Am I the right person to write? • Writer has authority to sign: or collaborate on style with the signatory • Realistic time for delivery and reply • Reader’s schedule and deadlines important • Make sure the address is accurate complete and up to date
- 25. Planning • The action point of the letter is whatever needs to be done to fulfill the letter’s purpose - What action is required? By whom? When? - What information is relevant to action point? - What does the reader already know? - What do I know? What else do I need to know? - Plan for getting the information – each group of items will form the basis for a paragraph
- 26. Letter Structure • Salutation: name if known • Heading: from the statement of purpose – make it short • Introduction: - Acknowledge of previous communication - Who the writer is – job title - Why you are writing • Body: - Ensure all material is relevant and logically ordered - Use bullet points for listing • Action point – indicate and put into its own paragraph • Concluding remarks – polite and genuine • The complimentary close and signature
- 27. Layout • However well written, a letter with a poor layout will fail at the first hurdle
- 28. Writing • Once the purpose and structure is clear, the writing itself becomes much easier • There is no “Business English” – only good English • Formality of a letter lies in its structure and a few basic conventions • Language should be close to the spoken word • Your letter, if read aloud, should have the sound of your voice
- 29. Tone • Difficult to define. Three elements: 1. Be positive: Always say what you will do, not what you can’t e.g. –ve: We cannot supply the goods before October +ve: We will send the good on October 1st. 2. Be definitive: Don’t promise what you can’t deliver e.g. –ve: I will try to hold the tickets for you +ve: I will hold the tickets for 3 days 3. Be sincere: Generate the feeling appropriate for your purpose - Should not be interpreted as a personal attack e.g. –ve:Your failure to reply …. +ve: Please reply by week end
- 30. Final check • Before the letter slips into the envelope: - Does it look good, interesting to read? - Does it give a good impression of you and your organization? - Does it achieve its objectives? - Is the action point clear? - Is the information accurate, relevant, logically ordered and complete? - Is the layout correct? - Is the heading brief but specific? - Are the paragraphs of manageable length?
- 31. Final check (contd.) - Are there any sentences of 25 words or more? - Is the language accurate, brief and clear? - Is the salutation and close correct? - Are all relevant enclosures included? - What about grammar, spelling and punctuation?
- 32. Inter office memo • Four items always appear in a memo: - Name of the addressee(s) - Name of the originator - Date of the memo - Subject of the memo • When the memo is sent to several people, replace individual names with a distribution list – list recipient names below the last line of the message • Do not use job titles in the memo • Use a descriptive subject line
- 33. Writing the memo • Determine the purpose • Prepare a writing plan • Write the first draft • Write the final copy. • The opening: most imp part of the memo, incl conclusions and recommendations, belong in the first sentence of the paragraph • The main message: the succeeding paragraphs support the imp info already conveyed in the first paragraph - only pertinent info is incl; no nice-to-know info - Use listing if appropriate, is more readable • The closing: the best memo closing may be none; eliminate unnecessary closings
- 34. Easy Reading • Make it easy for the reader to read – or the dust bin • Use white space creatively – more inviting to the eye • People skim read – no time or patience • Double indent lists • Have space between paragraphs • Use bold face type for emphasis; use them sparingly • Use bullets liberally: easily read and not missed • Use an appendix for support information • Good penmanship is a quality job skill: - gives a human feeling - Should be legible: people may not come back for clarification
- 35. Writing Tips Terrible writing is easy to spot; usually based on: - Foggy ideas no one can understand - Big words, even though little ones will do - Long twisted sentences covering may subjects - Using jargons, slangs, abbreviations known only to the writer - Vague words and statements that sound impressive but mean nothing - Arrogant style - Boring content - Complete disregard for the reader • When writing, no feedback to obtain correct answer. What you write has to stand on its own
- 36. Guidelines for good writing • Writing is not a God given talent, demands hard work • Write with the reader in mind: be considerate, friendly, interested, clear – “would I want to read this?” • Focus your work: Decide topic in advance, what you want to happen, and ensure that everything you write supports your message. • Be simple and short and very direct • Use headings and sub-headings in long reports • Use bullets to indicate points; however be consistent; if starting with action verbs continue till end. • Take out every ‘that’ and ‘which’ you can • Avoid boring, overused words -- cliches
- 37. Good Writing (contd.) • If you have trouble writing in simple words, explain to your co- worker / spouse and write what you spoke • If you get tangled in the middle of a sentence, break it into two • If a paragraph is bigger than a quarter of a page, break it into two – visually short paragraphs easier to wade through • Get the message in the first paragraph – helps the reader understand your point quickly • Don’t waste time on the perfect opening, or perfect way to say something: for the first draft write what comes in your mind. - point is to get started, act of writing generates ideas • Break a long report into sections • Just write, practice, read other good writers has written