Clear and Effective Writing PDF

Clear and Effective Writing Prof. Hailey P. Ferrer "A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach  Writing is a process. It means there are steps and methods used to generate a finished piece of writing. Effective Writing is: clear...

Clear and Effective Writing Prof. Hailey P. Ferrer "A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach  Writing is a process. It means there are steps and methods used to generate a finished piece of writing. Effective Writing is: clear concise complete correct Effective writing is clear. Clear writing is organized—readers can follow along with what the writer has to say; the progression is easy to understand and logical. Clear writing is precise and exact in terms of the words used. Choose short, familiar words easily understood by the intended audience. Clear words are often called “talk” words used in day-to-day speaking. The reader/audience needs to read through documents effortlessly and with understanding. If your writing is difficult to follow, your readers may lose interest (and patience). Effective writing is concise. Make every word count. Limit repetition. Eliminate excess words. Use active verbs.  Conciseness: clear without excessive verbiage The information is specific, words are precise, and every word matters—thus the sentences are clear.  AVOID: Excessive details Extra determiners and modifiers Repetitive words Redundant or unnecessary words If you need fifty words to say what you need to say, use fifty words. But if you can express the same idea with forty-four words, use forty-four words. Concise writing is tight writing. Effective writing is complete.  You need to take your time and develop your points so that they make sense to someone else. Depending on your purpose, you will need to use examples, details, facts, quotes, statistics, and testimony to give meaning to your ideas.  Effective writing is complete. Be sure you have asked and answered: who? what? when? where? why? how? Effective writing is correct.  Effective writing is correct : ensure the writing is free from as many possible errors as possible— errors not only of grammar, usage, and mechanics (GUM), but also of format and content. As a writer trying to communicate meaning to an audience, it is your responsibility to check and recheck your document for errors. CHECK: Subject-verb agreement Pronoun reference agreement Comma splice Run-on (also called fused sentence) Fragments Correct writing also requires that you verify facts to make sure your message is accurate and up-to-date  Revise the draft by checking the content for completeness. Edit the draft to correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling problems. Proofread the draft aloud to yourself to catch errors such as missing words or unclear sentences. KEYS TO EFFECTIVE WRITING 1. Identify your audience: Who will read what I write? Am I writing to a specific individual? A diverse group? How much do they know about my subject? What is their reason for reading my work? What is their attitude toward me and my work? 2. Establish your purpose. Why should they read what I write? What do I want my readers to do after reading my work? Am I trying to explain? Convince? Entertain? 3. Formulate your message. What do I have to say to them? What is my main idea? What important points do I want to include? What specific details should I include to illustrate my points? 4. Select style and tone. How can I best communicate to them? Is formal or informal language appropriate? Do I want to sound passionate? Matter-of- fact? Persuasive? Unbiased? Authoritative? Funny? Clear and Effective Writing Prof. Hailey P. Ferrer Sources: https://purdueglobalwriting.center/four-cs-of-effective-writing/ https://stanford.edu/class/ee267/WIM/writing_style_guide.pdf https://www.umgc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/writing-center/online-guide-to- writing/tutorial/chapter2/ch2-01.html http://www.butte.edu/ Hult and Huckin, The New Century Handbook, 104