Page 14 - Style Book 2020

WRITING CLEARLY
•Writing is work. It is a learned skill and takes a lot of practice. • When it comes to verbs, longer is not necessarily better. See if
Good writing reflects the natural style of speaking. Most peo- ple use plain language and concrete words when they speak. Their words are interesting because they speak directly to the listener. Written words should be the same. They should reflect the natural way you speak. Read some of your writing aloud.
If it doesn’t sound like the way you talk, rewrite. And here’s a bonus: when you read your copy aloud, your mistakes
will surface.
Jargon
• Don’t use words or expressions known only to educators. Avoid jargon. Save the “educationese” for other educators, professional journals and dissertations. Terms like interdis- ciplinary, cognitive, criterion and psychomotor sound like a foreign language to most parents. Write to be understood, not to be deciphered.
Active voice
• A simple way to put action in your writing is to place the subject of a sentence at the beginning and follow it with a strong verb. Another way is to use forms of the verb “to be” less frequently.
Passive: The planning calendar was approved by the school board.
Active: The school board approved the planning calendar. Passive: It was decided that the money will be spent on
new library books.
Active: The teachers decided to spend the money on new library books.
Strong verbs
• Strong verbs will make your writing sparkle. Often strong verbs are turned into longer nouns, which lack action. Look for words that end with –ance, –ment and –tion (e.g. completion), which usually are nouns, and rewrite the sentence so those nouns become shorter verbs (complete).
Weak: Replacement of the books is the media specialist’s job. Stronger: The media specialist must replace the books.
you can find shorter, punchier verbs to make your writing more interesting and easier to read.
Weak: Please inform your parents about the special program. Stronger: Please tell your parents about the special program.
Weak verbs
inform reduce attempt modify indicate
Redundancies
Strong verbs
tell
cut
try change show
• Avoid redundancies. They take up valuable space and add nothing to your copy. Here are some common redundancies. The word in bold is the one to eliminate.
final outcome (if it’s final, it’s the outcome)
unexpected surprise (if it was unexpected, it was a surprise) current trend (trend means it’s current)
basic fundamentals (fundamentals are basic)
first began (if something just began, it’s a first)
free gift (a gift by definition is free)
• Use the word in bold to eliminate extra words.
combined together new construction close proximity mingle together close scrutiny advance reservations revert back
new record
other alternative possibly might actual experience adequate enough future planning
end result
completely full
present incumbent
old adage
each and every important and essential absolutely conclusive entirely complete postpone until later uniformly consistent rectangular in shape joint cooperation
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