The Opening

Make your first paragraph do something; it is both a headline and lead for your message. Plunge straight into your reason for writing. Don’t begin with something your readers already know or by stating the obvious.

After the first couple of paragraphs, your readers’ attention may fall off if you haven’t already made your main points. Newspaper reporters call the first paragraph “the lead”, and they always try to make it effective and interesting. You can learn to do the same.

Don’t waste words in your opening. If you are writing to ask for information, ask for it in the first sentence. If you want people to do something, say so in your first paragraph. If you are writing a report, give the readers the most relevant information – often the conclusions to the report – in the first paragraph. Business writing often fails because of poor openings such as:

In reference to your recent report…
Please be advised that at the last planning committee meeting…

Learn to write a key first paragraph by giving the information most relevant to the reader without delay. Ask yourself this question: What do my readers need to know?

For example, if a 50-year-old woman wants to know if she is entitled to a widow’s pension, don’t spend the opening paragraph quoting the regulation that applies. Answer the key question in the first sentence and then go on to explain the reason.

We’re sorry but you cannot receive a widow’s pension until you are 60 years old.

In a report you need to give the essential information in the first paragraph. This often means summarising the whole report in a couple of sentences. To do this, imagine that your readers only have time to read your first paragraph and so place all the information they need to understand the report in that paragraph. For example:

Over the last 12 months, our sales of breakfast cereals through supermarket chains have grown by 12 per cent. However, between December and February our sales are 15 per cent below the average of all the other months in the year. Our advertising agency has provided figures showing how we could spend $1.2 million next winter to turn around this poor performance. Their solution is simplicity itself – advertise cereals with hot milk.

The Close

The closing couple of paragraphs are your last chance to influence your readers. If written well, the closing paragraph is the one your readers will remember.

In a report, a good summary paragraph at the end should bring all your arguments and evidence together and sway the readers to your point of view. In a memo, the last paragraph might tell the readers what you want them to do or might include recommendations.

In a letter, make your closing sentences polite and to the point. If you want your readers to take some action, show clearly what you want them to do.

Don’t end weakly or apologetically or let your writing fizzle out. A strong closing is as important as a good opening and well-developed points throughout your writing.

Use Direct Quotations

Use this journalistic technique of selecting suitable quotations. This is particularly useful in giving reports the human touch.

Use Direct Questions

Direct questions are an effective way of breaking up the text and keeping the reader’s attention. Try this tip in your letters and reports. Look for the word “whether”, and try to recast the sentence into a question. For example:

It remains to be seen whether the company can profit from investing in precious metals.

Redraft:

Can the company profit by investing in precious metals?

Use Examples, Statistics, Facts and Asides

You can make your writing come alive by giving plenty of examples to explain the point you are making. Often it is the well-chosen fact or statistic, the interesting anecdote or aside that your reader will remember and act upon.

“It is well to remember that grammar is common speech formulated.  Usage is the only test.  I would prefer a phrase that was easy and unaffected to a phrase that was grammatical.”

W. Somerset Maugham

For many of us, learning how to write involved learning about grammar. StyleWriter Software does not concentrate on grammar as the key to good writing.  This is not to say that grammar is not important – it is.  Obviously, good writing reflects the accepted structure of the English language.  However, writing can be grammatically correct but difficult to read.  Similarly, readable writing may have grammatical errors but still gets its message across.

Keeping to the principles of good writing will serve you and your readers better than trying to remember all the “rules” of grammar.  In fact, by following our advice, you will find using correct grammar becomes easier.  For example, if you keep your average sentence length low and use active verbs, you are less likely to make grammatical errors.

The ‘Rools’ of Grammar

Harold Evans, a former editor of The Times, listed the most common errors in grammar.  Each ‘rool’ contains the error it mentions.

1.    Don’t use no double negative.
2.    Make each pronoun agree with their antecedent.
3.    When dangling, watch your participles.
4.    Don’t use commas, which aren’t necessary.
5.    Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
6.    About those sentence fragments…
7.    Try not to ever split infinitives.
8.    Its important to use apostrophe’s correctly.
9.    Always read what you have written to see if you have any words out.

10.    Correct spelling is esential.

StyleWriter will not pick up all these problems (if you need grammar checking & correction software, white smoke grarmmar checker will be suitable), so you need to read your writing through to check that it is correct.

False Rules of Grammar

Despite debunking by many writing authorities, some people still stick to grammar “rules” that have no sound basis.  These include:

• not starting a sentence with And or But
• not ending a sentence with a preposition [up with I will not put.]
• splitting an infinitive [to boldly go, to thoroughly check]

Although there is nothing wrong with breaking any of these “rules”, doing so can upset some people so think about your reader.  StyleWriter picks up split infinitives and advises you not to split if possible.  However, if avoiding a split infinitive makes your writing sound odd, leave it in.  You can delete the split infinitive pattern if you don’t want StyleWriter to highlight them in your writing.

To select a writing task style:

1.    In the main StyleWriter window, go to the Task menu and select the task you want, or
2.    In the Statistical Summary window, click on the Writing Task box and select the task you want.

StyleWriter’s long sentence limit and its assessment of your style index, sentence length and passive index will change to reflect the new writing task style.

For General Writing, StyleWriter Software adjusts its statistical measures as follows:

StyleWriter also has the following writing task styles to choose from:

Academic Paper

Memo

Advertisement

Newsletter

Instructions

Regulation

Legal Document

Report

Letter

Student Essay

Manual

Technical Report ]]> http://www.writingsoftwarereviews.com/blog/plain-english-writing-styles-in-stylewriter/feed/ 0 http://www.writingsoftwarereviews.com/blog/use-whitesmoke-to-avoid-typos-in-english-writing/ http://www.writingsoftwarereviews.com/blog/use-whitesmoke-to-avoid-typos-in-english-writing/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:57:11 +0000 admin http://www.writingsoftwarereviews.com/blog/?p=93 Today I’d like to discuss a very delicate matter – Typos!

Dictionary.com defines a typo as: “An error while inputting text via keyboard, made despite the fact that the user knows exactly what to type in.”

FACT: Everybody makes typos. Language experts and journalists make typos.

The Queen of England, if she uses a computer (or even a typewriter), probably makes typos. The CORRECTION of typos is crucial in order to save your writing; not bemoaning the fact that they exist.

Whether we like it or not, typos are here to stay . . . until computers replace our brains and human errors cease to exist.
All we can do is learn from our mistakes, correct them, and move on.

Use WhiteSmoke to avoid typos

How They Are Caused

Rushing
Distractions
Mechanical Failure (technical malfunction of keyboard, computer, or mouse)
Ambivalence/lack of interest (writing quickly without paying much attention)

How They Affect You (If Left Unchecked)

Embarrassment
Low grades in school / Writing not taken seriously by readers
Miscommunication

Common Typos

Typos are spelling “accidents”.

Fortunately, many Word Processors automatically correct some common typos. (Microsoft Word automatically converts “separetely” into “separately”, based on your program settings!)

However, some typos include contextual spelling errors, which spell-checkers (such as Microsoft Word) simply do not catch, since they are words spelled correctly, but used incorrectly. (no/know, to/too/two, from/form)

WhiteSmoke’s spell checker can correct contextual spelling errors, too.

Learning From Our Mistakes

Just like we all mess up certain parts of our speech – if we’re preoccupied, nervous, distracted – we all occasionally mess up parts of our writing.

Raising awareness of the importance of typos is only the first part of this enormous world-wide problem. For continued protection against typos:

* Check your work. When you have finished a paper or even an e-mail, read over it carefully.
* Use a spellchecker
* Get a second set of eyes to look over your work, to spot things like contextual errors you might still be missing.
WhiteSmoke Software contains a reliable contextual spellchecker component.

Last Minutes Sale: Get WhiteSmoke All-In-One English writing software and receive an additional license FREE OF CHARGE, plus a special discount for our readers!

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1. Write in Your Own Style

You should always write in a way that comes naturally to you.
Comparing your style with that of others will make you feel disappointed with what you produce, and, as a result, you may not be able to discover your very own unique style.
Find the writing style that flows naturally from you, and start writing.

2. Write Now, Edit Later

Don’t concern yourself too much with editing as you write your article, because doing so will distract you from delivering the message you want to say.
As much as proofreading and grammar correction are important in writing, it is much more important that you write down your thoughts while they are still fresh in your mind.

3. Never Underestimate the Power of Verbs and Adjectives

The way you use verbs and adjectives can either make a plain article vibrant or turn an interesting article into one that is boring.
Verbs and adjectives add life to your sentences and they can help you turn an otherwise plain statement into a powerful, vibrant statement.
However, if used excessively, verbs and adjectives can make your article sound as if it’s trying too hard.

4. Make the Necessary Revisions

After you have finished writing your article, then it is time to revise and edit it.
This is the stage for correcting grammar, correcting typographical errors, and revising paragraphs that need some stitching up.
Of course another way you can make your writing outstanding is by using WhiteSmoke software, which will enhance your writing.

Just remember these four practical ways to make your writing outstanding.
Find your own writing style, write your article and skip the editing process first, use verbs and adjectives appropriately, and then revise and edit your article.

The primary function of this kind of software is to detect any errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling in an English composition. These words, phrases, or sentences are highlighted by the software and it makes suggestions on the proper way to write them. It also makes manual proofreading obsolete. Thus, businesses can save on money because they no longer need to hire a professional proofreader. And with perfectly written letters and reports, business executives and owners can impress their clients and prospects.

English grammar software can also help businesspeople hone their writing skills because it can make suggestions on how to better construct the various sentences and phrases. And because communication is one of the foundations of good business, having executives who have good writing skills is very important in the competitive world of business. While practice is vital in enhancing one’s writing skills, English writing software can act as a catalyst that hastens the process of learning.

A special kind of English grammar software that is tailored for the needs of businesses is the business writing software. With online communications becoming more and more prevalent, it has also become vital to enhance English writing skills for online applications. This kind of software does not only check your grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It also provides templates and tips on various kinds of writing that are needed for online business communications. These include contracts, email messages, proposals, resumes, business plans reports, formal business correspondence, memos, case studies, manuals, user guides, employee references, press releases, newsletters, thank you letters, thank you notes, grant proposals, and cover letters.

Business writing software can reduce costs and save on time because business writing seminars and courses may no longer be needed. Moreover, the impact of this software on a person’s writing skills is faster than that of courses and seminars.

Today it seems like everyone is writing something – emails, blogs, tweets, you name it. Unfortunately, the Internet encourages no thought to go unpublished and so while the amount of content has increased exponentially, the quality of it has not.

As a result, our ability to communicate effectively has been dramatically affected. Never in history has so much been written and so little actually said. Social media certainly hasn’t helped. Twitter, for example, deliberately handicaps our ability to communicate well by limiting messages to just 140 characters. Texting is helping create a nation of illiterates who only know how to “write” in a curious shorthand devoid of vowels.

If you write (and these days who doesn’t?), here are ten tips that can immediately help you improve your writing so you can communicate with clarity, influence your peers (and hopefully your boss), and reduce your stress when it’s time to put words on digital paper:

1. Use simple sentences.
Run-on sentences and random thoughts strung together quickly handicap your writing and can create confusion resulting in inaction. Here’s an example of two emails saying the same thing:

“In response to today’s budgetary meeting outlining goals and actionable items relevant to our marketing strategy draft proposal pursuant to management’s strategic business program, please review and assess your department’s 1Q budgetary requirements going forward and provide me with your bottomline request ASAP today, before COBD.”

“I need your first quarter marketing budget by 5pm today.”

Which one of these messages do you think will get a faster response?

2. Pay attention to punctuation.
Email and texting have helped foster a general disregard for punctuation these days and as a consequence people use it poorly or not at all, which can cause unintended confusion. Don’t believe me? Here’s the same sentence with two very different meanings:

“My partner arrived dead, last to the meeting.”

“My partner arrived dead last to the meeting.”

Punctuation is your friend. Use it well.

3. Use plain language.
Think in terms of “could my mother understand this?” when you sit down to write something. This will work wonders on a business plan, a marketing strategy report, even everyday e-mails. Purge your writing of the trendy and the corporate and use, as my old journalism professor used to say, a nickel word instead of a twenty-five-center. Those of you who have been in and around the corporate world for any length of time know exactly what I am talking about. Fuzzy, convoluted industry weirdspeak like “authoring solutions-based metrics”. Avoid confusing industry buzzwords whenever possible. If your writing causes your readers to lunge for a glossary, think hard about a better way to say it. And if you’ve used words such as “implementation”, “impacting”, and “facilitate” within the last thirty days I have two words for you: STOP IT.

4. Use an active voice.
This simple tip is a great way to quickly punch up your writing. Instead of using the dreary passive voice, use the livelier active voice. Notice the difference in this example:

Passive:
The car was driven by me.

Active:
I drove the car.

5. Tell the whole story.
Everything you write should have a beginning and an end with everything else following logically between. It sounds simple, but you’d be amazed at how many people violate this simple rule. We’ve all received those disjointed emails where it seems as if you’re missing a chunk of the message, leaving you saying “huh?” Everything you write should be able to stand alone. Don’t take for granted that the reader knows what you’re talking about. Start at the beginning and end at the end.

6. Put everything in context.
If you’re writing a proposal, a report, a white paper, a piece of sales literature, or just a simple request for something, put it in context. Show why it’s important, what it means to the reader, what the result will be. Context adds value to what you write.

7. Be conversational.
Does your writing often sound stilted or forced? That’s probably because you’re trying too hard. Relax. Write the way you speak. That doesn’t mean be sloppy or slangy, it simply means you should be more concerned with saying it clearly than saying it “properly.”

8. Write first, edit later.
Don’t try to make your writing perfect from the start. If you agonize over every word, you’ll never finish. You can always go back later and change things. Get your ideas down first, then go back and edit. You’ll be amazed at how much quicker and easier that is, once the actual writing is out of the way. And you may be surprised at how little you change because you weren’t second-guessing yourself while you were writing.

9. Proofread. Then proofread again.
We all make mistakes. But proofreading gives you a chance to fix them before they see the light of day. Never trust computer spell checking – it’s amazing how many weighs their are two spell things.

10. Reread.
Communications travel at the speed of light these days. So many people hit “send” without rereading what they’ve written. Resist the urge. Go get a cup of coffee, then come back and read what you’ve just written. A breath of fresh air may give you fresh insight into what you were trying to say. Perhaps the perfect phrase that was eluding you will pop up. Maybe a better, simpler way to present the idea will come to you. A tiny bit of procrastination can be a good thing.

So there you have it. Good writing is like golf – many people claim to be good at it, few really are. But if you use these ten simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to clear, concise, and compelling writing.

Stylewriter is a plain english writing software, you can write crystal-clear english with it.

See Stylewriter Writing  Software Reviews here